Spread Your Wings
by AnimationGirl
Summary: What if Shifu never adopted Tigress? What if someone with a plan came before him? What if Tigress was adopted by a certain owl? What would her future then be?
1. Little Too Late

A/N: So here I am… With a whole new story… I know that I already have two incomplete stories, but I just couldn't help myself! I got the idea and it kept haunting my brain. So I decided to give it a shot. Quick info: I am from Denmark and there will therefore be some spelling-mistakes. Forgive me.

This story will start _before_ the first Kung Fu Panda film; actually it will take place in 'Secrets of the Furious Five'. But that's just for the start. We will later reach the first and second film so Po will be in this story.

Another important notice is that because Fenghuang only exist so far in the tv-serie. And because I live in the little land Denmark, we can't see all episodes yet. Actually we only have the half of the first season so far. That means that I have only seen one episode with her, and my idea of her character of course comes from there. So sorry if she's a little different in the original version, but I don't really have other options. *sighs*

I do not own Kung Fu Panda. Never have and never will.

**Spread Your Wings, Little Too Late **

Blinking with her purple eyes the owl didn't say a word. The caretaker watched her nervously; the little information she had gotten weren't enough to calm her. "Miss…"

"Hua," the owl finished for her.

After clearing her throat nervously the caretaker continued, "Miss Hua, I don't believe you have told me where you live."

"I am sure you don't know of it. My home lies far away," the owl told her, still avoiding an answer. The situation didn't make her nervous at all; actually she was acting like the talk bored her.

The caretaker removed her eyes from her and glanced at her paper. Again she couldn't help but notice the many missing information. "Miss Hua, you still haven't…"

In the same moment the owl leaned herself closer to the sheep that let out a gasp in surprise. "We both know that I am the child's only chance." She paused while her purple eyes glared down the caretaker, "And wouldn't you do what is best for the little girl?"

Finally, the sheep had to agree and soon the owl was walking out from the office, satisfied with the decision. Of course she had known that this part would be hard, but none of them would in reality be able to stop her from getting what she wanted. She had just decided to take it the peaceful way.

She was easy to find; the other children were either inside or had went home with their new parents. Of course, she being the only tiger made it obvious. She was sitting in the courtyard alone, her form clearly depressed over getting rejected once again.

Disappointment. That was what Tigress felt. Turning the domino in her little paw she couldn't hold back a sigh. Maybe she just shouldn't have hoped for so much? At least the other children weren't afraid of her. But now most of them had been adopted and she was once again alone.

Now when she was finished with her training she couldn't even look forward to her meetings with Master Shifu. But maybe, next adoption day… Just maybe…

"Tigress?"

The little tiger froze to the sound of the voice. It didn't belong to any of the caretakers or the other orphans, and it definitely didn't belong to Master Shifu. Turning around to squeeze her eyes into a suspicious glare, Tigress asked, "Who are you?"

"I," she puffed out her clothed chest, "am Hua. And you must be Tigress." She tilted her head to look her over, as if she was trying to find all of her strengths and weaknesses.

Tigress stared back, unimpressed. "What do you want?" She had completely forgotten the good manners Shifu had tried to teach her in her irritation over getting disturbed while she was in a bad mood.

"I've heard about things about you, Tigress," the owl told her, making the child even more nervous. Hadn't her training with Shifu been enough? Were they going to take her away? What was going to happen? She hid her anxiety under a scowl. "Things that told me that you might want to come with me home," the owl continued, and the scowl instantly disappeared.

"You…" Tigress couldn't bring herself to say the words.

Though, the owl did it for her, "Adopted you? Yes."

The cub only stared at her. Feeling uncomfortable in the stunned silence the owl nervously moved her feet. This weren't supposed to happen. What had gotten wrong? Tilting her head once again she asked, "You do want to go with me home, don't you, Tigress?"

Instantly Tigress' face lightened up. "Of course, Miss Hua. Please forgive me," she said and gave a little bow as Shifu had taught her. She glanced up to see the owl smiling down to her.

"Then go get your belongings so we can start our travel," she hummed.

Tigress hesitated for a moment, but then picked up the dominoes that were lying on the table. She held them close to her body as if they were some precious, beloved doll. As she started to walk towards her room she carefully looked over her shoulder to check if her new parent still was following her.

It all seemed like a dream, and Tigress wasn't sure how to react. This was her dream, to be accepted, wanted, loved. But still she was afraid to believe it. She couldn't handle another disappointment. Tigress had to admit that Miss Hua wasn't exactly when she had imagined when she thought of a mother. A part of her was a little scared of her purple, intense eyes. The owl didn't exactly look like the normal people who came here, even though it was hard to tell because most of her body was covered in a dark colored cloak. But maybe it was because of her fabric covered body that she didn't seem like other parents.

Tigress silently walked through the orphanage, the owl following her. The children who were brave enough to stick out their head to see what was happening widened their eyes in shock. The sight of the mysterious stranger and the tiger wasn't something they did see every day.

But as they stood in front of the door Tigress hesitated again. The owl looked at her shortly before pushing the prison-looking door open by herself. Tigress, who expected her adopter to gasp at the destroyed room, was surprised when the owl didn't change her expression at all.

The owl made a gesture for her to continue and Tigress slowly walked into her room, still secretly glancing at Miss Hua. Why didn't this scare her away? The broken toys and floorboards? The claw marks on the wall? Didn't any of that made her change her mind?

As Tigress started to pick up some dominoes that were lying on the floor the owl took a closer look on one of the wall's scars. Holding up her wing she carefully examined the claw mark. For a moment Tigress stopped what she was doing to stare at the owl with big eyes. Even though she wanted to hide it the shame was visible in her eyes.

The owl caught her glance and suddenly she let her wing run down the wall. When she moved it again there was now a long, deep mark beside the one Tigress had made long time ago. The tiger cub's eyes only became even bigger. The owl chuckled at her shocked face, "You see, Tigress, I do not fear strength. I appreciate it."

Tigress hesitated with opening her mouth, but finally she decided to speak, "I can control it. Shifu taught me."

"I've heard so," the owl said shortly before leaning down to look Tigress in her eyes, "I can turn your strength into something _wonderful_."

Blinking a little, Tigress asked, "You can teach me? Like Shifu did?"

"_Shifu_," the name tasted weird in her mouth, "tried to make sure that people wasn't scared of you. Tried," she said again, making it obvious that he had failed. "You are not normal, Tigress."

The cub flattened her ears while crouching to the ground, fearing the worst. "You are better." In that moment Tigress dared to look at the owl again. Had she really meant it? Her adopter continued, "I can make people adore you, because you are something that they can never be. Your powers aren't to be hidden, but to be used."

"You will help me?" Tigress asked again, confused over the owl's behavior.

"Of course, my dear. When we are home I will…"

"Where's 'home'?" Tigress asked without realizing that she had disturbed the owl's speech.

Glancing at her, she answered, "Far away from here. I hope you like travelling, Tigress."

"I do," the tiger said instantly. Honestly, she didn't have any experience with travelling; she had never been outside the orphanage. Well, not since she had been able to remember. But of course she had always wished to go outside, be free…

"There are no problems then," the owl said before changing subject, "Are you finished?"

Tigress nodded while holding up a little box. "What's in it?" the owl asked, having expected a bag full a clothes and toys.

"Dominoes," the tiger said quietly, her cheeks burning, "Shifu gave me them so I could practice."

The owl gave her a short nod. She held in the question; 'Aren't there more things?'. The kid obviously didn't have much, and when it came to the few things she actually did have it was a miracle that they weren't too broken. She must get some new clothes and what else the tiger needed when they came home. And how she wanted to get out of here right now.

The horrible thought of the old turtle suddenly showing up kept haunting her. But why should he come here? It was Shifu who had been the one to teach the girl, not Oogway. And even if Shifu had decided to go here, she and the cub would be long gone. She would make sure of that.

The cub was now standing in front of her, looking at her with big eyes. The owl became once again unsecure; should she really do this? This wasn't a weapon, but a cub that she would have to take care of. A living child with needs that she had to fulfill. A child that could be hurt; both mentally and physically. She had to be careful of what she would say and do. How in the world would she be able to take care of a child?

But when she saw the tiger's eyes, the deep, golden eyes that begged her to want her, the owl had made her decision. As she had said to the caretaker; she was the cub's only chance. She or Shifu, of course. But there was no way that she would let him get her.

"Come. Let us go home."

* * *

"You are surprisingly early, my friend. And I see you come alone. A change of mind, maybe?"

Master Shifu gave a bow to the old turtle in front of him, "No, Master. She wasn't there. I was told that she had been adopted this morning."

Oogway's face lightened up in a smile, "Then I assume that your mission went better than we first thought. This is a day of joy indeed."

"She must be overjoyed," Shifu agreed, even though his face remained emotionless.

"But of course you have a reason to be disappointed," Oogway gently said while walking away.

"I do not." Shifu replied, before quickly changing it into, "I am not. A family is the best solution for the child."

"And yet you lost a student."

"She is not…" Stopping himself to breath in air through his nose the red panda paused shortly. "Bringing her to the palace would only become reality if the other options were gone."

"She has potential."

"Indeed, but…"

"She fully trusts you."

"Yes, but…"

"And you seem to care for her."

"With all respect, Master, are you suggesting me to take a child away from her new family?" Shifu asked, keeping his temper in check.

Oogway only gave him a calming smile, "Of course not, my friend. I am only clearing up the situation."

"My task was to make her ready for adoption. Now when I have succeeded, it's over."

"Oh, Shifu. Don't fool yourself."

The red panda froze, his stern eyes flashing shortly, "What do you mean, Master?"

"I am only believing that this isn't the last we have heard of little Tigress."

"Impossible. The caretaker said that she will be living far away from the valley," Shifu told him.

"You seem to forget that people always can return."

"And why would she do that? She has nothing here."

"She has you."

The unsaid words lay in the air as silence before the storm. Finally, Shifu managed to get out, "I was there to teach her how to control her temper. Nothing else. She got her family, her happy ending. She will forget me, and that is how it should be. Our time together is over."

Shifu stared at Oogway who was still smiling, not saying a word. Finally, the red panda gave up, "Please forgive my outburst, Master. I wasn't thinking clear; the orphanage seems to be lying further away when you actually are walking towards it. I am still tired from my journey."

* * *

Far away from the Jade Palace a tiger let out an exhausted sigh. She too was tired from a journey, though the difference was that hers was far from over. Once again she glanced at the owl beside, trying to find any evidence on her face that could tell if they soon could take a rest. At first Tigress' eyes had widened so much that you could doubt if they ever would return to normal size. For the first time in her life she had walked past the walls of Bao Gu orphanage as she had seen all the lucky kids do when the had been adopted.

But now it had been her turn. She had left what had been her home in so many years, but was only glad to think that she would never return. She had been ready to face the world outside that had been hidden from her in so long time. But now it was evening and she was tired. Her feet felt like they were on fire, but she still hadn't complained. Her adopter was quietly walking beside her; no word had been said between them in a long time.

Tigress didn't dare to start a conversation, and the owl just didn't know what to say. The cub had surprised her with her grown up way of acting, and somehow that bugged her. How could it be that she felt threatened by a little girl? But then again; what had she really expected she would be like?

"So, Tigress," she began, "Do you have any questions?"

The tiger thought about for some seconds, before she slowly asked, "Why did you lie about your name?"

The owl's purple eyes widened in shock. Who was this child? How could she know? She had taking the annoying cloak off when they had left the valley, knowing that the child never had seen her before. But could the cub really guess it so easily? Before the owl could answer, the tiger said, "You are Fenghuang." Her tone wasn't threatening or scared; it sounded more like she was talking about average things.

The two had stopped walking, and was now staring at each other; one just curious, the other as if she was trying to figure out an enemy. Knowing that the child would get to know anyway, Fenghuang simply answered, "I am."

Tigress nodded for herself, satisfied with the knowledge, "I heard the others talk about you and what you have done." Fenghuang glanced at the cub, interested of seeing her reaction. "They called you a monster," Tigress quietly said before continuing, "They called me a monster too."

"But we are no monsters, are we, Tigress?" The cub shook her head, a little insecure, "People have wronged me, just as they did with you. And so we will show them what we truly are, what we really can do. They will regret how they have treated us, and we shall be the ones to stand in the light."

Fenghuang spread out her wings as if she nearly could grasp the future she wanted. She glanced down to Tigress who was looking at her, "We two understand each other. When I heard of you, my dear, I knew that you were the right one. That we were in the need of each other."

"And what do you need me for?" Tigress asked, making her suspicious glance that Fenghuang had seen before.

She kneeled down and carefully placed a tip of one of her feather under the tiger's cheek. Not wanting to hurt or scare the child, she made sure that the touch was as gentle as it could be. "I need a daughter," she told her, causing Tigress to widen her eyes. Even though she knew what adoption meant, she still hadn't dared to think that the owl really wanted her. "Be my daughter, Tigress, and I promise you that you will never feel unwanted again. Isn't that what you always have wished?"

Tigress stared into the purple eyes as if she was spellbound. Could it really be true? Even though the children only had said bad things about Fenghuang, Tigress refused to believe it. Maybe she had done something wrong, but she still was the only person who had wanted her. Even Shifu had left her in the end. As the owl didn't say anything but only continued to stare at her, Tigress understood that she wanted an answer, "Yes, uh…" What should she call her? First she had been Miss Hua, then Fenghuang, but did she really wanted to be called the 'M-word'?

Waving it off with her wing Fenghuang said, "No need to be so polite, we are after all a family now. You can call me 'mother'." She hoped that it didn't sound as awkward for the kid as it did for her.

"Yes, uh, mother." Tigress tried not to grimace. She too felt the awkwardness. Of course she was happy for finally getting the family she always had wanted, but calling a person she just had met today for 'mother' was still a little too much. But she knew that after some time, when they had gotten to learn each other the awkwardness probably would be gone.

"Let's take a rest," Fenghuang said and instantly Tigress smiled in relief. Though, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous. This would be the first time she wouldn't sleep in her room, and on the top of that she would have to sleep outside in a forest. It didn't seem like it troubled Fenghuang. First Tigress had thought that the owl just liked walking through forests; now she understood that the reason why they had been walking alone between trees all day was because Fenghuang had avoided getting into villages. Villages meant people, which meant that there was a risk of being revealed.

Sitting down while grabbing the piece of bread Fenghuang offered her, Tigress asked, "Is there long way yet?"

"Yes," Fenghuang said flatly. Why lie for the child? Earlier that day while they had been walking her wings had screamed for her to grab the child and take off. But the most important was to gain Tigress trust, and that couldn't be done by scaring her with flying.

"Oh…" Tigress quietly said. Honestly, she didn't really look forward to more walking. But maybe today only was bad because of the silence there had been. Maybe tomorrow would be better. When she was done with eating she let out a big yawn which didn't go unnoticed by Fenghuang.

"I guess it's time for bed," she told her, and the tiger quickly lay down. The owl was sitting some meters away, watching the child. Knowing that she hadn't exactly been the best mother today, Fenghuang held in a sigh. What she was doing now was crazy. But again, if things went right it would be all worth it. And some kind of voice from inside her told her that she may end up enjoying it.

If the cub had agreed to be her daughter, then she needed to be her mother. But how exactly should she do that? An idea fell into her head. Why not just ask the child? "As an orphan you must have dreamt about having a mother, Tigress," she said while taking some step closer to the cub who nodded to her from the ground. Tilting her head, Fenghuang asked, "So what do you think a mother is supposed to do?"

A small smile spread on Tigress' face. Thinking it all though, she finally chose one certain thing. "Tell stories," she quickly said before looking away with shame in her eyes. She was fully aware of her childish she must have sounded.

"Stories," Fenghuang quietly muttered for herself. Well, the first time doing a thing can only start out as the best. "Then let's take a story."

Tigress rolled over to get into a better position while Fenghuang searched through her brain. She wouldn't let panic take over her; after all it was only a child, so what was the worst that could happen? Clearing her throat she started, "Long time ago there were five students training in a palace. They had one master who made sure that they kept training and woke them up in the morning. _Very_ early in the morning," she muttered for herself, but Tigress heard it and giggled slightly.

Surprised over the tiger's laughter Fenghuang continued, "One of the students, an owl, trained the best that she could. All day and nearly all night she spent on doing Kung Fu."

"The owl was you," Tigress told her.

"No names were mentioned, were there?" Fenghuang asked her, trying to keep her 'story' a story and not her past. "The owl of course became better than the others, which made them all very jealous. They all wanted to be the best, but the owl surpassed them all. Their jealousy made them fear her and they went to their master for help. Oogwa… The master had noticed the owl strength and knew that she was getting stronger than him. He made a plan but the owl overheard them. When she came to confront him, he attacked her and there was a mighty battle. Suddenly, the master tried to catch her in an owl-shaped cage he had made just for her."

"He cheated!" Tigress exclaimed. Fenghuang smiled; she liked where this was going.

"He did. But the owl was quicker than him. When the other students came to help the master, she knew that she couldn't defeat them all and flew away. While flying in the skies she found a nice cave far away where she could live in peace. She knew that if she returned she would be sent in prison just for being stronger than the others."

Hearing her words, Tigress quietly said, "Like me."

Fenghuang nodded, "Like you. So the owl couldn't return but had to live in loneliness. One day, long time after the big battle with the master, the owl was flying around when she heard some travelers talking about a monster. She found out that they had been in the Valley of Peace where they had heard the villagers talk about a monster that was locked away in an orphanage. The owl understood that the 'monster' only was some poor child, and the owl knew that she had the help. So one day she finally came back to the Valley of Peace where she visited a place called Bao Gu Orphanage. There she found a little girl called Tigress."

"You said that you wouldn't mention names," Tigress reminded her with a sleepy voice.

"Yes, I did, but this is an exception. So the owl rescued Tigress from the orphanage and they became a family. They went back to the owl's cave where they lived happily ever after. And one day they returned so the Jade Palace could see who the really masters are," Fenghuang finished. When she glanced down to see what Tigress was thinking, the cub was already asleep.

Then that problem was solved. After all, the cub needed energy to walk, and Fenghuang would like to be home soon. As she turned around to find a place to go to sleep, she was stopped by a paw that had grabbed her foot.

"Don't..." The word weakly came out from the half-sleeping tiger. Sighing, Fenghuang remained where she stood. She could just as well sleep here.

Before hiding her head in the soft feathers in her back, she silently called out, "Goodnight, Tigress."

"Goodnight, Mom," came the sleepy reply.

The owl glanced at her, surprised, before also falling into sleep.

* * *

A/N: So what do you think? Again, this is kinda an experiment, so if it doesn't work I'll just delete it.

Oh, and the whole story won't really happen in the Tv-series' universe; I just needed to have this amazing character, the rest doesn't really matter.

Again, sorry of Fenghuang is a little out of character. The explanation is in the first A/N, but I also want her to act different when she is around Tigress. Why she really had adopted her and the whole meaning of this will come in the next chapter.

Thank you for reading my story.


	2. Keeping Patience

A/N: WOW, people! Thank you so much for such a warm welcome! If you continue this amazing support I promise you that this story will be finished!

The reason why I was so unsure if I should continue this story was that I figured three things could happen; One, the story would be ignored and not get many reviews/readers. Two, it would be too experimental and get angry/disappointed reviews. Or three, it would be a success! Luckily for me, it became three! I must admit that I never imagined getting his many reviews! Thank you so much!

I still do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Keeping Patience **

Tigress accidently looked down, and her head instantly started to get drowsy at the sight of the mist that hid the bottom of the cliff. Of course, only if there actually was a bottom; Tigress was starting to doubt it. The mountain seemed endless, and the little tiger was missing the nature's colors. Everything here was gray; the hard rock nearly melted into the thick mist.

Every time she stopped to glance around, she only did it in a short moment because of the fear of her new mother leaving her. In this fog it was easy to lose each other out of sight, and whenever the owl's shape became to unclear Tigress hurried even more to catch up with her. If she got lost here…

"Are we there soon?"

Fenghuang held back a sigh; who many time could that cub ask the same question? Still, she understood her feelings; she too longed after being home. She had to admit that the kid was doing well, and even after days of walking she still kept her head high. Tigress was determined and persevering which gave her the heart of a warrior.

"Yes. If we continue like this then we'll be there within an hour."

Tigress nodded, looking forward to see her new home. The last days of travelling had given her a chance to actually _talk_. In the orphanage she had been alone, and when Shifu had been there they had focused on training. But with Fenghuang it had been different. The owl had told Tigress her story, and she had told her hers. When the sour tears had stung her eyes, Fenghuang had gently brushed them away and comforted her. She had promised that everything would be better now, that she understood. And for the first time, Tigress had found someone to share her pain with.

Suddenly her foot slipped on a loose stone, but luckily for her, she only fell to her knees, still on safe, hard ground. But Fenghuang had already reached out and her talons had taken a hard grip on her arm. The two stared at each other in long time, and Tigress understood that the owl had kept an eye on her the whole way through the mountain. Of course her mother would not let her fall.

Fenghuang loosened her grip, taking in a deep breath. She had feared that the cub wouldn't be able to climb the mountain, and all the time she had been ready to spread her wings and catch her if she should fall. No way would she let the tiger die. "Watch your steps."

"Thank you, Mom," the cub answered. The travel had taught her to use the word, and now it wasn't that hard for her to use. Fenghuang still became surprised every time she sued the word, but didn't show it. This was how she wanted it, to get the tiger's trust. And somewhere deep inside her, the word let out such a warn feeling. "I'll be more careful from now on," Tigress said, trying to ignore the nausea that was terrorizing her stomach. The fall had shaken her more than she wanted to admit.

"When you grow older you'll be climbing these mountains as if it was the easiest thing in the world," Fenghuang comforted her. She knew that it would be her responsibility to teach her how to be safe on these grounds.

"I wish I had wings," Tigress muttered.

The owl glanced at her, "But you don't, and we can't exactly change that. When I am done teaching you, you'll not need any wings to live here. You will be graceful even with your paws."

"You think?"

"I know."

* * *

Tigress didn't even try and hide her disappointment. When she had heard Fenghuang call her new home 'a cave', well, she had thought it would be a house in a cave. But now when she was standing in front of it, she could see that it actually just was a cave. No furniture where in sight.

Walking deeper into it she spotted a fireplace and a big bunch of blankets in a corner. Baskets were standing different places in the cave, containing things that for now were hidden for Tigress' eyes. "And this will be your bed," Fenghuang told her while pointing at the blankets. When she saw the tiger's widened eyes she added, "It isn't much, but in my situation you can't always get what you want. Sometimes even what you need."

A little flame of hate was lit in Tigress heart. She knew whose fault it was. She knew that is was because of the Jade Palace that she and her mom had to hide. Shifu never wanted to help her, not really. He had tried to take away her powers, her strength. If she was powerless then she wouldn't grow up to be a threat for him. But he hadn't succeeded; Fenghuang had saved her and now she would teach her how to use her strength.

A part of her was still confused about Shifu being evil. He hadn't seemed to be that when he had trained her. But still, he hadn't been that friendly either. And wasn't Fenghuang's fate proof enough to convince her about which kind of person the red panda was?

"It's soft," Tigress commented as she investigated her new bed. Cave or not, this home was better than her room in the orphanage.

"You like it?"

Tigress murmured a 'yes' while nodding softly. Suddenly, she changed subject, "Is the mountain always this cold?"

Fenghuang gave her a grim smile, "Even worse at winter. You'll get used to it."

The young tiger grimaced at the thought. "You said you would teach me Kung Fu," Tigress told her as she followed Fenghuang who was walking towards the fireplace.

"I did."

"But when?"

"I like you eagerness. It will help you a lot when thing gets hard. But for now we will take it slowly; I want you to settle in first."

"But…"

"Just some days, my dear. Then we'll start."

* * *

Taking a deep breath, she tried to hold out the noise. Yes, it was annoying, but she shouldn't let it get her. The cub was happy and that was the important thing. But then again, maybe she should have thought about it one more time. Maybe she should just have chosen another toy to her.

Fenghuang was standing in the middle off the cave, eyes closed and her body completely still. The owl was meditating, well, honestly, she was more like trying to meditate. The squeals of a very happy tiger destroyed her focus.

Tigress was running around in her new home, chasing a ball. Indeed it was a childish way of acting, but Tigress didn't notice. She was too busy playing with her new toy. For the first time she didn't have the four walls to limit her, and there were no caretakers or children to become scared of her. But now in her new home she was giving the freedom to be caught into a game.

And how she loved it.

She punched, she jumped, she ran. All the time she made sure that the ball was moving, that her fun wouldn't end. Playful growls escaped her mouth, and her claws had sprung out in her tries to catch the beloved toy.

Fenghuang had promised herself that she wouldn't stop the cub. If somebody deserved some childish happiness then it was her. The cruel world had taken Tigress' childhood away from her, and Fenghuang was determined to give some of it back. But right now, with the speed Tigress had reached, it would only be a matter of time before she would run into something.

"_Please, not the jars,"_ Fenghuang thought for herself, already seeing the shattered pieces in her mind. Suddenly, her foot flew up and grabbed the ball with her talons. She gently laid it on the ground, and made it roll towards Tigress who was looking at her with big eyes. The cub was clearly terrified of the thought that she had nearly hit her new mother.

Her lips quivered slightly when she apologized, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"Don't you worry about it. When I was little I used to play wild games too. Just… Just be more careful from now on," Fenghuang said, making sure that her voice was gentle and understanding.

Tigress nodded and grabbed the ball again. "When you was little… What was you like?"

Fenghuang looked surprised by the question, but quickly pulled herself together. "A lot like you I guess," she told her child.

"Did… Did you have a family?" Tigress knew that she was heading towards a subject that maybe Fenghuang didn't like to talk about.

"Yes, I did." The owl looked away, pausing in some seconds before she continued, "I had a mother."

"Is she…?"

"Not dead. I just haven't seen her since…" She stopped, searching for the right words, "Since Oogway decided that I was a monster."

"But we are no monsters, are we?"

Fenghuang smiled as she recognized her own words, "No, we aren't. Now, go to play."

The cub nodded and ran off, and Fenghuang finally allowed herself to close her eyes. Judging by the missing sound of Tigress' chase the cub must have decided to play with another toy. After all, she had given her a whole bucket of it. Most of them were from Bao Gu; it had been way too easy to snatch and put down in her bag while she had searched for Tigress. Of course the cub didn't know that.

Taking a deep breath the owl tried again. But the cub kept bringing thoughts into her head. When she had taken her from the orphanage she had asked herself if she was ready to take care of a cub. Now came the question if she was ready to a mother.

Fenghuang went so deep into her thoughts that she lost the track of time. Deciding that meditation-time was over she sighed and opened her eyes. What she saw surprised her. All around her was dominoes. If her foot had just moved a little bit more, she would have tipped one and destroyed it all.

"Good morning." Glancing to her left Fenghuang spotted Tigress who was busy with putting down the last dominoes.

"Oh, I wasn't sleeping; I was just meditating."

"Will you teach me that?"

"Yes, I'll…. Tigress, what is it that you have been doing?"

"Dominoes," the tiger simply answered.

Fenghuang lifted her eyebrow, "I see that." Carefully, she glanced around in a try to see the cub's creation.

"It's a lotus flower. You're in the middle," Tigress told her.

"It's beautiful," Fenghuang praised, "Perfectly done."

Tigress blushed slightly; when had anyone ever used the word 'perfect' about her? Not even Shifu had, and he had been the kindest one to her before she met Fenghuang.

"Would you like to knock down the domino?"

"It would be an honor." Tigress pointed at a domino that was standing just in front of her feet. Fenghuang carefully lifted a foot, and after a moment hesitating, knocked it down. They both watched as the golden wood pieces fell into place, creating the beautiful picture.

After some moments staring at it, Fenghuang asked, "Tigress, my dear, how do I get out from here?"

* * *

"Am I doing it right?"

Fenghuang walked closer, watching her form. Her wing gently brushed against the cub's arm, correcting her a little bit. "Very good," she praised looking her over again. Tigress was practicing her fighting stance, and was now standing as still as a statue.

"Now," the owl said, "hit me."

The tiger had learned not to hesitate when her mother asked her about things like that, and instantly shot her paw forward. Fenghuang moved aside just in time to feel the movement on her feathers. Tigress let her arm stay straightened out, and Fenghuang glanced at it to look after mistakes.

"You are doing well. With training you will be a very skilled warrior. Now, a kick."

The training continued, everything going after Fenghuang's ideas. After all, they did not have a training hall like in the Jade Palace, and she had to use what she could get. Tigress was learning the basic stuff, and the tiger used the rest of the day with kicking, hitting, jumping and taking defensive stances.

Tigress was panting, her muscles ached and she had never felt so tired in her life. "When… When will I get better at this," she asked after Fenghuang just had announced that she was given a break.

"It will come, my dear. Just be patient."

"It's hard," Tigress exclaimed. What if she never got better? Then she wouldn't be able to help her mother.

"Of course it is. It's _Kung Fu_. But when you have improved, things will get easier."

"When you started training, was it also this hard?"

Fenghuang gave her a wise smile, "The first years are always the hardest."

"Years?" Tigress asked with a nearly terrified voice.

"That depends on how much you want it."

"But I want to learn!"

"Then it probably will go faster. You _will_ learn. Just see how much you have managed today."

Tigress smiled, "You think I'll be a great warrior?"

"One of the best."

"Better than Shifu?"

Fenghuang smiled back, "Much better. We'll give him some of a surprise, won't we? The tiger he had given up on will be the one to defeat him."

"Defeat?" Tigress asked as if she didn't know the meaning of the word.

"Outdo him," Fenghuang changed the word. When the cub became older she could explain the plan. Right now they just needed to continue what they already were doing; training and making a bond between them.

"It's a fun drawing." Tigress voice pulled her out from her thoughts.

"Excuse me?"

Tigress pointed at the wall, "The one you made. I tried to draw too, but my claws aren't sharp enough."

Fenghuang glanced at the marks on the hard cave wall. The Jade Palace and its masters were decorating it. She had made the drawing with her wing one of the first days she had been in the cave. It was supposed to remind her of what was rightfully hers, and of those people who had taken it away from her.

"That drawing. Yes, I made that long time ago. You want to make one too?"

"I can't."

"Making your claws sharp isn't that hard. You will be able to draw soon." Fenghuang imagined a grownup Tigress. She would be strong, fast, smart, beautiful. The deadliest warrior ever seen. That the tiger already now wanted her claws to be a powerful weapon was only a good thing. "What would you draw?"

Tigress was quiet for a moment before answering, "I would draw you."

* * *

A/N: Again, thank you for all of your support! You are free to review again *puts up adorable smile*

Important notice 1: As some of may know from my other stories, I am right now in a play which have premiere in less than a month. That means that I spent a lot of time with practice. Top of that I am very busy in school right now, so that also steals my time. And then of course I have to take care of two other stories. That means that there probably go about a week before I update. Sorry.

Important notice 2: As you can see, this chapter is very calm and has the family theme. The next chapters will probably be about the same, but I promise you action will come! So for you action-lovers, don't give up this story yet! It will come!

Thank you for reading.


	3. Phoenix

A/N: Back again! I actually like where this story is heading. I still have a lot of good ideas yet! And is there anybody else than me who is looking forward to see Tigress as teenager?

Thank you for all of your reviews, favorites and alerts! It means a lot!

This chapter will involve the first OC's for this story. Hope you'll like them.

Just if someone didn't know: Fenghuang basically means Phoenix.

Nothing changed since last time; I still do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Phoenix **

When the thunder was heard Fenghuang opened her eyes. How long had she been gone this time? Her meditation has only gotten deeper through the years, and sometime she could open her eyes to find out that she had been lost in her thoughts in nearly a half day. Before it had been great; living alone out here was boring and when hours just passed by it was a good thing. But now with Tigress… Fenghuang widened her eyes. Where was the cub?

Quickly getting up, Fenghuang walked towards the entrance of the cave. Today was the day where Tigress for the first time was allowed to be on the mountain's grounds alone. After the cave being her home in over three months Fenghuang had decided that the tiger was ready enough. But right now she regretted it.

How long time had the thunder been going on? Fenghuang knew that many cubs were afraid of the flashing lights and the high noises, and she still could remember her own fear for it when she was small. If Tigress was caught in the storm somewhere… The horrible thought of the child losing her grip while climbing entered her mind. Please, no. The owl needed to get out there and it could only take too much time.

Spreading her wings Fenghuang let herself fall over the cliff, catching the winds below. She gracefully flew around the mountain, her sharp eyes looking for any signs of the tiger.

"Tigress!" The thunder swallowed her yell, and the owl understood that shouting was useless. She had never liked flying in the rain, the raindrops made everything harder. But right now flying was necessary. If something had happened to the cub…. Fenghuang forced her wings to move faster. Where was it that she had left the tiger? That last place she had seen her was by the little, dead tree that was on the flat, safe ground about a half hour walking from the cave. It was a perfect place for the kid to be alone; after three months she had learned how to climb the mountain on her own.

But with this rain it was different. Her foot could easily have slipped on a wet rock and… Fenghuang didn't dare to finish the thought. And even if she found Tigress, then the cub had to be cold and wet which meant that she could be sick. A sick, little girl was definitely not what she needed now.

Grabbing the tree's branch with her talons Fenghuang landed, not as gracefully as she used to be because of the rain. "Tigress!" she called once again. Why wasn't the cub here?

"Mom?" Fenghuang nearly fell of the tree in surprise. Under her was a very poor-looking tiger. Her entire body was covered in mud, and her golden eyes seemed to be glowing in the dark. As soon as Fenghuang got down form the tree the cold and shivering tiger pressed her body against hers in a hug. The owl felt how she shook and rubbed her wing against her back in a try to comfort her.

"It's just thunder, dear," she tried, but Tigress continued sobbing into her chest.

"I thought you had left me," she murmured, and tried to take some shaky breaths.

Fenghuang couldn't help but feel guilty; leaving a child alone in a storm _was_ a bad idea. And especially with a child like Tigress. "Why would I do such a thing?" she asked, but tiger didn't answer.

"I… I didn't dare to climb back. I was too scared," Tigress admitted with a voice thick of shame.

Holding up her wing over the child as a shield for the rain, Fenghuang said, "You are a smart girl, Tigress. Climbing a mountain while raining can be very dangerous. You could have been killed."

"I didn't…?"

"You did the right thing. Let's get you back home and dry you up."

Tigress nodded, trying to hold back a tremor. Fenghuang glanced around, seeing another problem. After being in the rain for so long the little tiger's limbs has gotten stiff from the cold. Right now, her climbing a mountain wasn't an option. That meant that she had to…

"Tigress, listen to me. We have to fly."

The tiger gave her the deadpan look she always got when the owl was wrong about something. "I can't fly," the tiger said in an annoyed tone. Couldn't her mother see that she had no wings?

It wasn't the first time Fenghuang had gotten that glance, and she was started to get used to it. After all, the kid was smart, and it was only a good thing that Tigress knew it as well. She had just had to make sure that it would come out of hand. "But I can," she sighed, "and I am going to do it very carefully. No need to be…" When she caught Tigress warning glance she changed the word she had chosen. The kid had already admitted one time today that she had been scared and she definitely didn't like it. "Worried," Fenghuang finished.

Tigress let her mother grip her shoulders and the owl slowly took off. The tiger had to admit that she wished that her first time flying would be in nice, calm weather; not in a furious rain with only lighting flashing the sky for her to see the mist beneath her.

Fenghuang herself was concentrated on flying as calm as possible. Her wings were fighting a battle against the stormy winds, but she wouldn't let Tigress know. But as she spotted the cave's entrance she decided that she better had to warn the cub.

"Tigress," she called, and shortly looked down to meet the tiger's eyes, "It's going to be a tough landing."

The tiger nodded and braced herself. At the moment when the owl let go of her, she gracefully landed by rolling around until she got stable enough to stop on all fours. But Fenghuang wasn't that lucky. Her wings, heavy of the rain, tried unsuccessfully to get back some balance, and the owl ended up nearly crashing against the floor. Only because of her strong claws, she managed to stop the fall.

"You okay?" Tigress asked, and Fenghuang mentally cursed the situation. She was supposed to be the one asking that.

"I am fine, my dear." She threw a glance at the tiger one more time, noticing the mud was now gone, washed away by the rain. "Get some dry clothes on, while I'll start the fireplace."

Tigress went to her own basket where she kept her stuff. Fenghuang had been kind enough to make her a suit of clothes she could have on at night. It was made out of a blanket, and the owl had impressed Tigress deeply with her skills of sewing; something the tiger never had gotten the chance to learn.

While getting herself ready, Tigress noticed how her mother shook her wings so raindrops were flying everywhere. The owl said some not so pretty words about the weather, and Tigress chocked a giggle. Fenghuang walked over when Tigress was finished, and led the tiger closer to the fire. The cub willingly sat down, and waited until the owl came back, carrying a bunch of blankets.

"Wrap them around you."

"I am not that cold," Tigress protested, but the owl didn't buy it.

"We don't want you sick, do we?" Fenghuang didn't wait any longer, but covered the child in the blankets until only her head was sticking out. "Now you can get the warmth."

Blinking a couple of times, Tigress asked, "Aren't you freezing?"

"I am more used to the cold than you are."

"I am sorry for crying," Tigress apologized, "I shouldn't have been scared."

"You had your reasons. And crying is naturally, the same with being scared. But some people must not show their tears or fright. People like us, Tigress."

The tiger instantly understood, "No tears, but growls."

Fenghuang chuckled; the last couple of days Tigress had spent with practicing on her roar. If enemies underestimated her, then she would show them how strong she really was. "Smart girl," she repeated. "Let me hear."

In the moment Tigress' mouth opened a loud thunder was heard again, and the tiger's roar drowned in the noise. The cub first turned around her head, confused by the situation, before breaking into a grin. Fenghuang chuckled along, "That was impressive."

* * *

"Who are you?" Tigress asked, crouching to the ground as if she was ready to jump upon the stranger.

The intruder, a male lynx, only shook his head, "If I was you I would get out of here before you get into trouble."

Tigress growled while unsheathing her claws. In the half year she had been with Fenghuang she had never met a stranger. Not once; it had only been her and her mother.

"Why the hesitating, child? Are you lost?" the lynx mocked, walking closer, "Can't you find your parents?"

Letting out the last warning snarl, Tigress leapt at him. The stranger blocked the attack with a staff he was bringing with him, and Tigress was thrown some meters away. When the lynx looked at the staff, he widened his eyes. "So the kitten got claws?" he commented after seeing the deep claw marks in the wood.

"I can do much worse than that," Tigress growled, "Get out of here!"

"Don't you know it's rude to break into other peoples' home?"

"This is my home."

"I seriously doubt that, child. But I can tell you that there is nothing here to steal. You have wasted your time."

Tigress showed him her sharp fangs, "I am no thief."

The lynx didn't seem scared at all, "I do not want to hit a child. So if I was you I would just disappear nice and quietly."

The tiger didn't move and neither did the stranger. All they did was to look into each other's eyes, trying to find a simple flash of fear. Suddenly Tigress rushed forward, and the lynx made himself ready by holding up his staff. But just as the tiger was in front of him, she jumped and spun around to kick the staff out of his hands.

The stranger stared at her in wonder, "You know Kung Fu?"

"Yes, and that was the last warning. Now get out of here."

"Unfortunately, girl, I have business to do here."

That was the last straw for Tigress. With a roar, she leapt at him once again, and pinned him to the ground under her paws. But before she could do any more, a voice stopped her.

"You better let go of him, Tigress; you don't know where he has been."

Surprised, Tigress did was she was told and ran back to her mother who just had entered the cave after having been gone for hours. Fenghuang let Tigress rubbed her body against hers; a sign of her love to her mother. Then she turned to the stranger.

"Yun-qi, what a surprise. I see you have met my daughter."

The lynx stared at the owl and the tiger, his brain frozen. "Please say you are…"

"I am definitely not kidding, Yun-qi," Fenghuang told him with a threat behind the calm voice.

Yun-qi finally understood that this wasn't a subject he could laugh of, "Your daughter? Yes, of course. I can see the similarities between you two now."

Sighing over the lynx's behavior, Fenghuang said, "You are late this time, Yun-qi. Tigress, this is Yun-qi, a friend of mine."

"A pleasure to meet you, little Tigress. You can call me Uncle Yun-qi."

"'Uncle'? Aren't you too cocky now?" Fenghuang huffed.

Yun-qi waved her off, "What happened before was just a misunderstanding, am I right, Miss Tigress?"

Tigress, who had never been called her name with that much respect before, blushed slightly, "You are right… Uncle."

"You see, we are all one big family now," Yun-qi smiled.

Fenghuang sighed, and turned to Tigress who still was confused over the whole situation, "Yun-qi has been a big help with getting stuff from villagers. I can't really avoid being recognized if I tried."

"Again I apologize for my late presence. Through my journey I ran into some troubles and had to, well, go quiet for some months."

"At least you are here now," Fenghuang shorty said in a not too happy tone.

Yun-qi didn't notice her dissatisfaction, or maybe he just chose not to see it, "Just the usual again? Or are there special orders this time?"

"The girl needs clothes," Fenghuang said and touched Tigress' worn out vest, "Something that can handle her training."

"Anything else the little lady needs?"

"I am sure you can come up with something when you are there, Yun-qi."

The lynx grinned, "That depends of how much you have to give me."

Fenghuang walked pass him towards a basket that Tigress never had been allowed to touch. Why, she didn't know, but the things in it had to be precious for her mother. The owl quickly came back, carrying a little leather bag. It looked heavy and when she dropped onto Yun-qi's paw, Tigress could hear that sound of coins touching each other.

"Where did you get that?" she asked her mother.

"Some travelers just don't take good enough care for their items while they are climbing," Fenghuang shortly said, leaving the tiger to figure it out by herself.

"You have been busy this time, Fenghuang," the lynx grinned, "Looks like babysitting isn't taking much of your free time."

"I'm no baby," Tigress growled, clearly unsatisfied with the way Yun-qi had talked about her.

"How old are you?"

"Nearly seven," Tigress answered with a proud voice.

Yun-qi looked skeptically at her before laying his glance on the owl, "I've never really understood your plans, Fenghuang, but you with a kid? No one would have expected that."

"It's actually pretty simple, Yun-qi. But maybe your brain needs more time to take it in then others."

The lynx winched and turned to Tigress, "Your mom is a meanie, you know that?"

Tigress crossed her arms, "You're stupid."

"She's smart for her age, Yun-qi, as you can see," Fenghuang grinned, standing behind the cub.

"And a Kung Fu talent," the lynx added. "Whatever you are doing, Fenghuang, I think it might could work." Tigress glanced at him, not liking when people talked about her as if she couldn't hear them. "But it seems like Shifu has gotten the same idea," he continued, a smile not leaving his face.

Fenghuang raised an eyebrow, "And how's that?"

"There are rumors about how the great Master Shifu is on a search for students," Yun-qi revealed. Tigress ears lifted up, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Fenghuang on the other hand looked like a thunder sky, ready to storm.

"That foolish mouse!"

"Red panda," Tigress corrected without thinking further about it. The words had just come out of her mouth.

Fenghuang marched around in the cave, "Foolish red panda. Never got a creativity of his own. He always stole others ideas."

"But he doesn't exactly know of you adopting Tigress so how could he steal the idea from you?" Yun-qi said, but was stopped by Fenghuang's glance.

"But he will. He will know when the time is right. And when that happens he will beg for forgiveness for his many mistakes towards me. We'll show him and his so-called students who the true masters are."

"I'll beat them," Tigress promised.

Fenghuang gently stroke the cub's head with her wing, "Of course you will."

"You sure have taught her something, Fenghuang," he kneeled down to look Tigress in the eyes, "Your Kung Fu skills were impressive. Care to fight Uncle Yun-qi again?"

"You don't know Kung Fu," Fenghuang commented, but the lynx only grinned.

"That will just make it even more fun to her. But what is your opinion, Miss Tigress?"

Tigress shortly looked at Fenghuang to see if it was alright. When the owl nodded, she turned to Yun-qi, "No cheating."

"I see no reason to that, my dear."

The tiger grinned, before dropping on all fours. "Then let's fight," she said while running towards the entrance of the cave.

"She got some spirit, doesn't she?" Jun-qi grinned.

Fenghuang just shook her head at his comment, "More than you would know."

"But you as a mother? I still can't believe it." Yun-qi glanced around to see if Tigress was out of sight, "So how much do the cub know?"

"I have no intention of keeping secrets for my child, Yun-qi. I just leave out the more complicated information until she gets older."

"'My child'? You seem to take this pretty serious, Fenghuang."

The owl looked slightly taken back by his words, "I…"

Suddenly a little tiger had walked back into the cave, "Have you changed your mind or…?"

"Patience, little Miss. I was just on my way," Jun-qi said and followed the tiger out. Fenghuang watched them for a moment, and then she walked back into the deeper end of the cave while shaking her head.

* * *

_He knew that he had seen those eyes before. "Tigress?" he asked, but the little tiger shook her head. _

"_Tigress the Monster," she corrected. _

"_You are no monster. You're just a-" _

"_-Little girl?" she finished for him, taking the words out of his mouth before he could utter them. Tigress let out a little smile, as if it all was amusing for her. As if it all just was some foolish talk. _

_He stared at her, feeling the slightest bit of fear sneaking into his heart. What had happened to the child? _

"_Wanna play?" she asked, tilting her head and giving him a smile that sent shivers down his spine. He opened his mouth to refuse, but his throat felt too dry to make words. The tiger held out a paw, giving him the sight of a single domino in her palm. Then she closed her hand and carefully placed the domino next to the others that he somehow hadn't noticed. _

_But all around him, everywhere, were golden dominoes. Tigress suddenly seemed to be sitting further away, just behind the golden edge of the creation. "It's a phoenix," she told him, "You're in the middle." _

_She grinned, and tipped a domino. As soon as it touched the ground it burst out in flames. As the dominoes continued falling, the fire continued spreading. It all went so fast, too fast for him to do something. Before he could open his mouth, he was consumed by the flames. _

Shifu woke up, his entire body covered in sweat. It took him a minute before he could calm himself. He quickly looked around, just to see if there were any flames in his room. The red panda shook his head of his own foolishness; one thing was having a nightmare, but having a nightmare about a little girl? He knew that he had greater fears than that.

But why was Tigress showing up in his dreams? It was years since he had trained her in the orphanage, and he hadn't seen her since. Why was the memory of her coming up now? Knowing that there wouldn't be long time before the morning call would sound, Shifu rose from his bed and made himself ready.

He had more important things than a foolish nightmare to worry about. And Tigress… Tigress was just fine. She was living far away with her family, and that was how it should be. A nightmare like this shouldn't make him come up with new thoughts, and after all; it had been him that had been burned, not Tigress. Maybe it was himself he should worry about.

Walking through the halls as the first day light appeared, Shifu had successfully gotten Tigress out of his thoughts. To let today's lesson plan fill his mind was easy.

"Good morning, Master."

His five students' unanimously greeting forced the last thought of Tigress out of his mind.

* * *

A/N: Do you want to hear something funny? After I published this story we started to get new episodes of 'Legends of Awesomeness' in Denmark. Weird, right?

Hope you caught how Tigress' personality changes when she is around (or not around) her mother. Just because she has another master in this story doesn't mean that she won't be as dangerous as she is in the movies ;)

So… Who is the fifth student? Now when Tigress isn't there, and there are still many years to go before Po will show up.

Thank you for reading, and a review won't hurt ;)


	4. Innocent Eyes

A/N: Sorry for the wait! I am busy with the others stories, my exams and the premiere of my play is coming closer and closer! I am in panic!

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Innocent Eyes **

Tigress watched the pair while being hidden in the shadows. The investigative eyes she had gotten while getting older were scanning everything. She was now ten, but there were still a lot of things that she had never seen before.

And one of those things was a real kiss.

Uncle Yun-qi had in long time told her fairytales when he visited; something Tigress enjoyed greatly. Fenghuang wasn't exactly the best storyteller, and when Yun-qi was telling, Tigress often heard of things she had never seen in real life. Dragons, treasures… True love.

Her mother had sometimes giving her a soft kiss on her forehead when it was time to bed, but that was all. In the fairytales, the hero would rescue the girl and then they would share a true love kiss. When she had asked if things like that could happen in the real world, Yun-qi had laughed. But how should she know? In the orphanage there had been no love, and the bond she had with her mother was something completely different.

The two lovers, a young deer couple, was too busy expressing their feelings for each other to notice her. But somebody else did.

"You better stop that, girl, or they'll give you bad ideas."

Tigress turned around to see her uncle standing beside her. "I was just watching. I wanted to see how it looked like."

"And what looks it like?"

The tiger wrinkled her nose. "They look funny," she snickered.

"Fun-time's over, little princess. We got business to do."

Tigress nodded and walked with him as they left the place. Fenghuang had for the first time allowed Tigress to go with her uncle on one of his trips to the nearby village, An-Xin. The lynx was here to not only spend money, but to get some coins. And that was why he needed Tigress.

Taking the girl to the outskirt of the town, Yun-qi went through the plan once again. "And you remember what your mother told you?"

Tigress sighed as an answer; couldn't he understand the yes the first time he had asked. The tiger had gotten way more self-confidence than in her time in the orphanage. She now made it very clear when she was right, and especially when someone was wrong.

Yun-qi knew that her teenage years were coming closer, and he definitely didn't look forward to it. He would leave it to Fenghuang to deal with an annoying, unpleased girl.

The lynx took a closer look on her and noticed that something was missing. His staff suddenly swung towards the cub's feet in the intention of knocking her down. But Tigress was too fast and grabbed it before it could touch her. With a strong pull, Yun-qi had lost the staff to her and Tigress was now pointing it threatening at him. "What are you doing?" she snarled, her eyes suspicious.

"Your mom clearly told you that you must not do Kung Fu," Yun-qi told her and was answered with an annoying growl. He held his paw out to her, "Now, give me my staff back." After some seconds hesitating, Tigress handed him the walking stick. "Thank you," he hummed, "And I'll tell you, dear princess, that I only tried to fix some mistakes."

"Mistakes?"

He nodded, "You are too clean. Even though your cloak clearly is old, you need to look more poor. We got to make people feel sorry for you, don't we? Roll around in the dirt and I'll take another look on you."

Tigress just glanced at him as if he had lost his mind. Was he really serious about this? "Go on, we don't have all day," Yun-qi hurried on her. Finally, Tigress let go of some pride and did was she was told. When she was done she was covered in a layer of dust, but that still wasn't enough.

Digging up some dirt, Yun-qi spat in the earth in his paw. Mixing his saliva with it, he made a soiled kind of face paint. "Come here with your face," he gestured and Tigress slowly took a step closer to him.

"Ewww," Tigress exclaimed while making a grimace, "It's disgusting!"

Yun-qi grinned, "But it works!" He continued smearing the mixture in his face until he finally decided that she looked dirty enough.

"Am I done now?"

"Try suck in your cheeks and make your eyes bigger. Perfect!" he exclaimed after seeing his masterpiece.

"Can I go _now_?" Tigress asked, getting tired of her uncle.

Yun-qi smiled, "You have never been too patient, girl, but yes. You can go. But," he stopped her before she could run away, "what is it that you must not do?"

"Kung Fu," Tigress sighed.

"Good girl. Now go and earn us some money."

Tigress took her chance and disappeared before he could stop her again. As she reached the first house of the village, she slowed down and was walking instead of running. She forced herself to walk upright; always going on all fours was a habit she had gotten that Yun-qi didn't like. But while climbing a mountain it was handier to use all legs.

Being a tiger it was hard for her to fit in with the villagers. The cloak Fenghuang had given her helped a lot, but she still had to avoid too much attention. Basically, Tigress' job was simple but she still had a hard time getting started. She just couldn't find the right person. After ten minutes walking Tigress gave up and, when nobody was looking, gracefully jumped up on a roof. She would have a better view there anyway.

Her own goal was to see everything that she could. In over three years the cave had been her home and in that time she had been exploring the mountain so much that climbing it seemed like the easiest thing in the world. The cold, the fog and the sheer cliffs had become a part of her life. But things like this, the village, the people and the noise, were all things that she didn't have much experience with. And now when she had the chance, she had to see everything she had missed.

The little tiger rested her head in her palms, looking down at the scene beneath her. If she was lucky she would be able to gain some money by getting some pity from some of the villagers. Fenghuang had spent many hours on teaching her how to act, and Tigress now trusted her sweet-poor-hungry-adorable-child-look fully. Some big innocent eyes and old ladies would at least give her a little bit of bread. But of course she hoped for more.

If she was really lucky, she would find the perfect wallet to steal. Her training with her mother had made her movements quick and nearly noiseless, and Yun-qi had given her tips about how to get the money without anyone noticing it. Rumbling over her situation, Tigress was unable to find a victim. If she just was allowed to do Kung Fu she would have tried stealing from the first person she had seen, but now when she wasn't allowed to defend herself it was all different. If something went wrong it would be nice to just knock the person out. But Tigress knew that her fighting skills would reveal that she didn't exactly belong here. There were already rumors about Fenghuang hiding in the mountains and Tigress wouldn't risk her and her mother's safety.

A sound of laughter caught her attention. From the left a group of children on her ages were walking down the street. Tigress widened her eyes as she looked closer. The one who had made the laughter was a girl snake, a viper to be exact. Behind her was a monkey with a bug on his shoulder. A mantis, maybe? After them came a crane that was looking a bit uncomfortable. And the last one… The last one was a tiger.

Tigress dropped her mouth. Was it really true? In all that time she had thought she had been the only one, well, at least in this part of China. But right in front of her was the living proof that told her that she wasn't alone. Her curiosity taking a hold of her, Tigress let herself gracefully slip down of the roof and landed behind a stall with apples. She would like to remain unseen by them.

As she continued following them, Tigress noticed how weird people were reacting to the group. Little kids stopped walking to stare at them, and some of the adults even bowed to them. But why were they doing that? Were the children rich or what? By the look of the of tiger's wallet that was hanging in his belt, it was pretty obvious that the group weren't poor.

Suddenly the tiger stopped and Tigress got the chance to take a better look at him. He was obviously a male, and was only wearing pants so everybody could see his trained chest. His visible muscles told her that he had to be a warrior; if not he would be it soon. He looked older than her, maybe three or four years, and his whole form was showing seriousness. But it was the look in his eyes that irritated Tigress. He looked way too satisfied. Like he was thinking that he was much better than everyone, but still kept his mask.

Tigress snorted silently. "_I can change that_," she thought for herself. Oh, how she wanted to fight him. It would be great to show the tiger that his place was under hers. "_Just wait. One day I'll show them all_."

Reaching her hand out from her hiding place between two baskets, Tigress squeezed her eyes together in concentration. The tiger was too busy talking with a seller to notice her. Everything went so fast and suddenly she had the wallet in her paw. She had done it without getting… Oh snap!

The tiger had turned around to look her directly into the eyes through the little space between the baskets. The fire in his dark eyes made Tigress freeze. For the first day since she had started training Kung Fu she felt threatened. For the first time she was face to face what a real enemy. And man, he was mad.

"Thief!" he barked, and his paw tried to grab her, but Tigress was already far away from her. Taking her flight, the little tiger ran down the street on all fours with the wallet placed in her hidden pocket. But just as she was about to reach the end of the village, the male tiger was in front of her. How he had managed to caught up with her, Tigress didn't know. Suddenly, he leapt towards her and took a hard grip on her arm. Pressing her body against his own, he held her trapped.

"Let me go!" Tigress growled while squirming. But without the use of Kung Fu she found herself unable to break free. Just as she was about to sink her teeth down into his arm, a voice called,

"Tiger, what are you doing?"

Both of the tigers looked up. In front of them were the rest of the group; the viper, the mantis, the monkey and the crane.

The male glanced at them, before looking back at Tigress who had stopped squirming for a second. "She's a thief. She stole my wallet!" he exclaimed angrily, while holding her out on front of them so they all could see her clearly. Tigress just gave a hiss in response.

They looked at her, but not as angrily at he had done. Holding both of her arms up with one hand, the tiger used his other to take his wallet out of her pocket. He must have seen her put it in there. Tigress cursed herself mentally; it would take a lot of luck to get out of this situation. Or maybe just talent.

"Mom is sick," she told them while her under lip quivered, "We have no money and I had to get some food." Inside, Tigress was nearly vomiting of the pity glances they sent her. Did they really think that she was that pathetic? But she had to remain in her role and forced some tears to fill her eyes.

The snake slithered closer to her and looked at her with azure, soft eyes. Tigress noticed she was wearing two lotus flowers. "Let her go, Tiger," she said while keeping her glance on Tigress.

"Are you serious?" The so-called Tiger asked, but after a nod from the viper let Tigress fall to the ground. She landed directly at her butt and winched slightly. Suddenly, the bug jumped in front of her. She stared back without blinking.

"What's your name?" the mantis asked, but Tigress didn't as much as open her mouth. After some time he gave up, "Ooookay." He jumped back on the monkey's shoulder and looked at his friends, "I don't think she's going to speak."

"Well, she isn't mute. We all heard her before," the crane told them.

Tigress glared at him, before returning back to look into the snake's eyes. If someone was going to let her get away with this, then it would be her. "You know that stealing is wrong, right?"

Tigress had to hold back a snort; did she think she was a little child or what? But she nodded and whispered, "Had no choice."

She could see on their faces that they didn't know what to do with her. They didn't want to punish her, but they couldn't just let her go, knowing that she was fighting with troubles. "Don't you have someone to help you, Kiddo?" the monkey asked her which just made Tigress even more frustrated.

First of all; he had no right to call her that. He couldn't be much older than her, so being called a kid by him was just humiliating. Secondly; if they got the idea of coming home to her mother or finding some villagers that would help her, she would be in trouble. There was no sick mom, and none of the villages had seen her before.

"Mom's getting better," she quickly said. "We just ran out of food. I… I didn't know that… I'll never do it again," she promised, using her little-girl-voice.

The tiger behind her sighed but Tigress ignored him. After sharing a glance with her friends, the viper apparently made her decision. "So if we let you go you'll be fine?" Tigress nodded and stood up. But before she could ran away she was stopped by the snake's voice. "Wait! Tiger, give her the wallet."

"Wait, what? Viper, she stole it."

"Because she had to."

"Master gave us the money."

"But we have already bought the things he needed. And he told us that we were allowed to buy what we want for the rest of the money," she told him and then turned to Tigress who was standing some meters away. "And I want to give my part to her," Viper pointed at her with her tail while sending her a smile that Tigress didn't return. "What about you, guys?"

The crane tilted his head, "She does need them more than us."

"Crane got a point," the langur said.

"Agree," the bug told them and they all turned to look at Tiger. Finally he gave up and sighed. With large steps he neared Tigress who had decided to remain standing still. He kneeled down a little and placed the wallet in her paw. "Fine. But never do things like that again, because you can't always be this lucky."

Tigress stared at him, then at the others and then the wallet. Suddenly, she turned around and disappeared behind a corner of a house. Tiger crossed his arms, "We didn't even get a 'thank you'."

"She's just surprised. Be happy, Tiger, you did something good," Viper praised.

"If Master Shifu gives us any punishment for this I'll tell him that it was your idea."

"Did you see the way she looked at me?" Crane suddenly asked.

Monkey laughed, "It looked like she was going to claw you. You definitely don't have an admirer there."

"She was just scared. Being surrounded by strangers isn't a nice thing," Viper defended the tigress.

"You just like her because she's a girl," Mantis snorted.

"I am living with you guys all day, so of course some girl-talk would be nice," Viper hissed back, "It's rare that something smart comes out of your mouths."

"Ohhh," Monkey winched, "We made her mad."

Viper smiled again, "Come on, boys. Let's head back home."

"I heard a villager talking about Fenghuang living in the mountains," Tiger suddenly said, "I am going to report that to Master Shifu."

"He already knows about those rumors, Tiger," Viper told him.

"Then why haven't he investigated it?"

"Because…" But Viper couldn't find a proper answer. "It's probably just rumors anyway."

With that the Kung Fu warriors left the village, ready to face the long travel home.

* * *

"Uncle Yun-qi!" Tigress exclaimed as she saw the lynx.

He smiled when he saw her, "There you are, girl. You better stay out of the village; there is someone in there that I don't want seeing you."

Tigress ignored his words and handed the heavy wallet to him. When he opened it, the lynx' eyes widened by the sight. "Impressive, princess. How in the world did you get that?"

"Some people gave it to me. First I tried to steal it from the tiger, but he caught me. Then his friends showed up, but I tricked them all. I said that my mom was sick and that we didn't have any food."

"And they bought it?"

She nodded and continued, "They ate it raw. Not only did they let me go, but they also gave me their wallet."

Yun-qi smirked, but suddenly it became a frown. "You mentioned a tiger. Tell me, were his 'friends' a viper, a mantis, a crane and a monkey?"

Tigress glanced at him with a surprised expression, "How do you know?"

Suddenly, Yun-qi started to laugh. Hard.

"What's so funny?" Tigress asked, not understanding anything.

"You are incredible, little lady. Absolutely incredible."

"I don't exactly understand."

"I'll make sure to buy the things quickly, cub. I just can't wait to see your mother's face when we tell her what you have done today."

"What did I do?"

* * *

Fenghuang couldn't help but feel relieved when she saw the cub running towards her. Soon she was embraced in a hug, but she gladly hugged back. Looking over the cub's head she saw Yun-qi standing with his arms crossed and a big smirk on his face. Fenghuang sent him a sharp glance; she knew what he was thinking about. Before the trip they had been having a conversation if Fenghuang was started to get overprotective of Tigress. The owl had defended herself with the fact that this was the first time she would be separated from the cub since she had found her in the orphanage.

The owl decided to give Tigress the attention. "So how did it go, dear? Did you like the town? And what happened to your face?" she asked, noticing how dirty the tiger was. She immediately blamed Yun-qi, "What did you do?"

"Relax, it's just dirt. Nothing that can hurt the baby girl." He ignored Tigress' warning growl; sometimes he went a big too far with the nicknames. "You should be proud of her, Fenghuang. Because of her acting skills you two are going to live like royalty for some time." He showed her the bags full of clothes, food and what else the little family needed.

"You earned Uncle Yun-qi a lot of money?" she asked Tigress who nodded.

"And that's not the whole story," the lynx grinned, "Guess who gave her it."

Fenghuang turned back to Tigress, but the cub only shrugged. "He won't tell me who they were. But they had names like me."

"What do you mean?"

"The tiger was named Tiger. And he called the viper Viper. I guess the same goes for the rest of them."

Fenghuang and Yun-qi shared a glance, and then the owl hugged the cub even tighter. "You are amazing, Tigress. Do you want to know who you tricked?" She continued, knowing that the tiger had waited very long for the answer, "Today you met the Furious Five, students of Shifu."

Tigress dropped her mouth. "Seriously? _Them_? But they gave me their money!" she exclaimed. She still had a hard time believing it; those children she met today, could they really be those she was destined to defeat?

"Looks like you made your enemies help you."

"But… But they said that their master had given _them_ the money." Tigress was now hopelessly confused.

"Well, then we should thank _Master_ _Shifu_," the owl spat out his name as if it was a curse, "for those lovely presents."

When Fenghuang noticed how distressed Tigress looked, she gently led her inside the cave, "I believe we have something to celebrate tonight, don't we?"

But even though the evening was filled with laughter, Tigress still couldn't feel completely happy. Her first trip to the village turned out to be the first time she met her enemies. It was not like she had liked the group, but the thought of them being Shifu's students was still weird. Would she really have to fight them one day?

They had given her the money that originally had been given to them. In their lack of knowledge they had helped her without her even needing it. They had forgiven her and helped her, but… But she didn't owe them anything, right?

* * *

A/N: Now you met the fifth student. The reason why the creativity is maybe lacking with his species and name, is because else he wouldn't fit in. Mantis, Crane etc. has all gotten their names after their style of Kung Fu. And how weird would it be if example the Master of the Tiger Style was a goat? And again, if he was a tiger but was named example Kang while all the others were named after their species. Of course he, like the others, has a real name that we may come to hear.

Another notice is that there will be no romance in this story. I know I have said that in my other stories too, but this time I am planning to keep the promise.

Thank you for all of your support; it really means a lot.


	5. Cave Or Cage

A/N: So sorry for my absence. My play had premiere and I had my exams, but now I finally got summer holiday. I would have been working on Shadows Of The Past, but I find the chapter hard to write and I have an important message to all of my readers.

I am going on vacation and am gone for a while. When I come home, I'll update as soon as I can, but it'll firs be on Shadows Of The Past. The cliffhanger has been there for over a month now…

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Cave Or Cage **

"No."

"No? What do you mean 'no'?"

"You heard me, Tigress."

"But _why_?"

"Because I said so."

"But it is so unfair!" Tigress crossed her arms and stared at her mother. "Why can't you understand?"

"It is not a subject that needs to be discussed. I said no, and that's how it'll be."

"Shifu has probably already taught his students it, so why won't you?"

Fenghuang sent her a sharp glance, "Shifu won't teach his students anything useful. After Tai Lung he has become way too careful."

"But you aren't Shifu!"

"Of course I am not, and watch your tongue, young lady. As I told you before; you are not old enough."

"I am no kid anymore!"

"But neither are you an adult."

"What is the worst that can happen?"

"Tigress, you will not be taught the Seven Impossible Moves now."

"But then when?"

The owl sighed, tired over the conversation, "When you are older."

"I am _older_. Mom, haven't I mastered every technique you have showed me?"

"Yes, but…"

"Then why won't you even try this time?"

"_Tigress_," her mother hissed, "I am not teaching you the moves, because it is too dangerous. And that is the end of this discussion. I will not hear a word more from you."

"You…"

"Not a word!"

Sending her a furious glance, Tigress growled and turned around to storm out of the cave. But as she left, another person entered. "Seems like the mood is great here. Just the perfect moment to visit you," Yun-qi said calmly as he walked towards Fenghuang.

"Don't mind her. She is just so stubborn and won't even listen to a word of what I say. She is way too strong spirited, unable to control, she is just simply…"

"Being a teenager?" Yun-qi suggested with a grin.

Fenghuang nodded slowly, "You could say that."

"Don't you worry, dear; it'll only last some years," the lynx teased her.

Sighing, she answered, "It is times like this where I wonder if I made the right decision."

"Oh, Fenghuang, you will never be able to get rid of the girl. The child has gotten hold of your every thought. You still even believe she is a little baby the way to treat her."

"I am not. The Seven Impossible Moves are way too complicated for her to learn now."

"So that's what the whole thing was about."

"Yes, we… Yun-qi, could you please explain me what your comment then was about. How I apparently treat Tigress like a baby?" Fenghuang asked with a warningly tone.

"That was nothing, my old friend. I was just commenting how you may have a soft heart for the child."

"Says you? Please, Yun-qi, tell me the reason why your visits here has become more often."

Still grinning, the lynx waved her off, "Well, definitely not because of your warm welcomes. Reminds me of I actually have something to the girl. Maybe a little gift will calm her down. Where is she now?"

Fenghuang turned her back to him, "Somewhere in the mountain."

"Well, thank for the help," Yun-qi snorted sarcastically. The lynx was on his way out of the cave when Fenghuang's voice stopped him.

"Oh, and Yun-qi?"

The lynx let out a shriek of surprise. "Would you please stop doing that?" he gasped and placed a paw over his chest, "My poor heart can't take it."

Fenghuang had turned her head all the way around to look him into his eyes, "You're so squeamish. But, Yun-qi, try and see if you could talk some sense into her. I am too tired to have another fight with her right now."

"Hard time being a mother?"

"Now, Yun-qi!"

"Right away, my friend. Uncle Yun-qi to the rescue."

* * *

Tigress let out a deep sigh. Once again she had sought comfort by her old haunt; the dead tree. It was her favorite spot to train Kung Fu because of the safe, flat ground that made everything easier. Worrying about falling down a cliff while practicing her fighting wasn't a good combination. But the tree was also the place she came to when she needed to be alone. And in the last month, it had happened more than a few times.

Funny how it worked. She came out here to be alone because she felt lonely. But why? It didn't make sense at all. But sometimes she needed a break from her mother. The owl understood her on many points, but there was still many times where her mother didn't even try to follow her. Fenghuang and Yun-qi were the only two persons she had. She truly had no one else, and that made her vulnerable. Tigress would give her life to protect them, but if she felt like they had let her down then it was like the whole world was against her.

But family was family, and Tigress knew that this place was where she belonged. But still, she longed after seeing the world. She knew it was out there, but so far her world was the northern mountains and the little village An-Xin. She weakly remembered the five students that had given her the money, but the memory had faded. Instead, the images of Shifu's cruelty had become stronger. He would pay for what he had done to her mother. She would make sure of that. Then who cared if his students had been nice to her; they were still Shifu's students which meant that they couldn't be trusted.

"Princess?" She turned around to see Yun-qi walking towards her. "There you are. I have been looking everywhere for you!"

"Mom sent you, didn't she?"

"Not only that; she also gave me her dead-glance."

"The one where her head is turning the wrong way?"

"That one."

Tigress nodded slowly, but didn't turn her head away from the fog. Yun-qi slowly walked closer, "Why so down, kid?"

The tiger buried her head in her knees, "No one understands anything anymore."

"Really?"

"And nothing happens. It's the same thing every day! Eating, training, eating, sleeping!" She growled softly before continuing, "When I was little Mother used to play with me. Of course I don't want that now, I am no child, but I just wish that _something_ will happen!"

"Like learning the Seven Impossible Moves?"

"She told you?"

"I have to agree with your mother on that one. The Seven Impossible Moves are, well, impossible to learn and if something goes wrong then it can be very dangerous."

Tigress snorted, "She treats me like a little child. I can't even spend an afternoon out here without her checking if I am alive."

"She's just being a worried mother."

"But she doesn't need to be worried! I can take care of myself!"

"Tell me, child, how old are you know? Time passes so fast for me and I just can't keep up with it!"

"I am fourteen, nearly fifteen."

"So it's soon time to birthday presents, I presume? But you see, kid, when people reach your age their brains… Well, they don't always think."

Tigress was quiet for a moment, thinking about his words. Then she slowly asked, "So you are saying that I don't think?"

Yun-qi understood the threat and quickly said, "Of course not! But maybe on some points you could try and, uh, reconsider your thoughts just sometimes."

"Uncle, I am not stupid."

"I didn't say that. But some teens have, well, high thoughts about themselves."

"Maybe we should just stop this conversation now…"

But the lynx continued, "You are amazing, girl, but you still have limits. Like if you thought you could fly and sprung out from a cliff…"

"I would fall."

"Correct. And your mother fears that she won't be there to catch you."

Tigress snorted, "Like I would jump out from a cliff."

"But you do understand the point. So just try and be nice to your mother, okay?"

"I am being nice," the tiger huffed.

"Then be nicer."

The two sat in silence in some time, staring at the sky. Tigress was the one to start the next conversation, "You're so lucky."

"And why am I that?"

"You travel all the time. You have seen nearly all of China. I have to hide in this stupid mountain."

"I don't exactly think you can call a mountain for stupid."

"It's just so small!"

"You can't call a mountain for small! It's a mountain!"

"But it is!"

"This mountain is big as a mountain! Seriously, you can't do anything but agree on that!"

"I have lived here in over eight years, Uncle! And I have used those eight years on exploring this mountain. There isn't one blade of grass that I haven't seen before."

Yun-qi watched the tiger who rested her head on her knees, "Okay, that sounded kind of sad. Why not… No, you aren't allowed to do that. What if… No, your mother would be so mad. We could…"

"When do you think it's going to happen?"

"Uhm, what exactly are we talking about?"

"Don't tell me she hasn't talking about it. The great day where we are going to take over the Jade Palace. Mother always talk about, she just never mention when it is going to be."

"Well, if you would hear my guess, then she is waiting for Oogway to take his last breath."

"But he's a turtle! He is going to live _forever_!" Tigress spat.

Yun-qi laughed, "Nothing last forever, unfortunately. Oogway's end is nearing, and when he is gone you and your mother will rule the Valley of Peace."

"And what will you be when that happens?"

"Not a servant, I can tell you that. And you will not need me to bring you food, so what could I bring you? Maybe the great Tiger Warrior Tigress still needs some fairytales from time to time."

"I don't think that, Uncle."

"I am gonna come up with something; you aren't getting rid of me that easily." Suddenly his paws disappeared onto the pockets of the red cloak he always wear, "I nearly forgot this! Now when the young girl doesn't want fairytales, maybe she would like this instead."

He laid something in her paws, and Tigress became surprised when it was revealed that it was a necklace. A beautiful one. "Must be expensive," she told him while examining it, "Where did you get it?"

"Some lady didn't notice my fast fingers grabbing it. She won't miss it anyway."

"Wonder what Mom will think of the fact that she sent you out after food and you come home with unnecessary gold."

"It's an early birthday present. Can't blame me for that."

Tigress carefully touched the jewel in the middle, "It looks lovely. Not that I am used to wear things like this."

"You kinda live up to your nickname now, Princess."

"Reminds me of that you have to stop calling you that."

"Then what should I call you? The Great Master Tigress, the future ruler of the Valley of Peace, destined to defeat Shifu the coward and all of his students because she is the strongest warrior of them all. Was that better?"

Tigress grinned, "Maybe you could shorten it a bit?"

"If I know you right, then we it can only become longer."

* * *

"Just wait, Shifu. One day you'll pay for your betrayal," Fenghuang hissed at the wall. The carving of the red panda was now not as perfect as it used to be; while training Tigress had gotten a little too far with the fighting mood and had clawed it. Not that Fenghuang wasn't pleased with the tiger's anger towards Shifu.

The owl's sharp glance found a single domino on the floor. It was long time ago since she seen Tigress with one of them in her paws. But Fenghuang knew that Tigress still cared for them, and throwing them out wasn't a good idea at all. The owl grabbed the golden piece of wood and made her way towards her daughter's baskets where she kept her stuff.

Sure enough, she found the little box that was filled with dominoes. After carefully laying it back on its place she turned around to look Tigress in the eyes.

"You are back early."

"It started raining," the tiger told her.

"It has never bothered you before."

"I don't have any plans of being hit by lightning," she answered, her wet clothes dripping on the floor. She walked closer to take a look in the basket, "We should throw these things out."

Fenghuang held up a tiger doll she had given Tigress long time ago. "Maybe we could use them in training," she said skeptically.

"It's a doll, not a dummy."

The owl sighed and laid the toy back down. "You grow up so fast. Now you don't play with dolls, but instead you are trying to wear jewelry."

"Trying?"

"The necklace Yun-qi gave you last time he was here, I understand why he gave it to you, but when are you able to wear it? You can't while you are training, and we don't exactly go to parties."

"I'll keep it anyway."

"Next time Yun-qi have to go to An-Xin, maybe you should go with him. You could use some new, fresh air."

Tigress turned her back to her, "I don't think it is such a good idea."

"And why that?"

"Because of this," the teen said while holding up her worn-out cloak. Every time she had to leave the mountain she had to wear it.

"Tigress…"

"I am tired of hiding. I am tired of pretending to be someone who I not am. I am tired of how people have to see me as a beggar while the truth is that I am stronger than all of them!"

She sat down and looked up to see her mother nearing her, "And please don't say the word 'patience'. It makes me feel sick."

Fenghuang chuckled slightly, "I hate that word too. But we have to wait until the right time. Some things have to be taken care of without we have to do it, and that's what we are waiting for."

"When the time is right, then how are we going to do it?" Tigress asked slowly.

"What do you mean?"

"We will be two against six when they don't have Oogway. Who is going to take who?"

"You are early with making such kind of plans."

"Don't say you haven't thought about it."

"Got me there. Then listen; it is maybe going to be two against seven."

Tigress widened her eyes, "Oogway will be alive?"

The owl shook her head, "No, no. He _will_ be dead at that time. But there will maybe be a Dragon Warrior."

"Sounds interesting."

"Listen, dear; I don't really care about the students. They just need to be defeated. But Shifu is mine, understood?"

Tigress nodded, "You take him, then I'll deal with the so-called Dragon Warrior if he is there."

"Sounds like a plan."

"A plan that we hopefully soon can start."

* * *

A/N: Well, I can reveal that Teenage Tigress is inspired by my role in the play; a teenage Viking girl with an overprotective father. You can guess that there are some pretty fun scenes with me and that play… Oh, how fun it is to be annoying!

And I repeat; I am going on vacation, so you won't hear from me in some time.

Thank you for all of your support.


	6. Haunted

A/N: Sorry for the wait (I keep saying that, don't I). But now I am back from my vacation, and have updated my two other stories that seriously needed my attention.

I have said it in my other stories so why not do it here also? My play is now over and I have been on my vacation, so I have gotten a little more free time. Buuuut… I have started writing my own Danish novel. So I also have to use some of my attention on that one. Hope you understand.

Sorry about the massive parts of humor in this chapter. I am just a little weird, and hey, there has been a family theme, I promised you an action theme eventually, so why not take a little humor?

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Haunted **

Baojia never liked travelling on mountains. So many things could go wrong, and he actually liked life. The pig nervously looked at his partner, who was walking beside him. Jing definitely looked more calm than Baojia thought he self looked.

The rabbit turned to him when he caught his glance, "Afraid of heights, Baojia?"

"When you fall down of the cliff I so much have the right to say 'I told you so," Baojia said with a dark voice. Then he started mumbling for himself, "Take the mountain road, they said. It'll be fun, they said. I would like to hear what they'll say if they died while climbing a mountain. Oh wait, they can't say anything! They're dead!"

"You seriously have troubles," Jing gave back. "Now be quiet or you'll start an avalanche."

"Good way to calm people," Baojia murmured sarcastically.

The two travelers continued in silence, carefully watching their every step. The fog was making it hard to see, and it was like the ground was crumbling under them the whole time. But so far they were fine. That was until Baojia caught the first sight of it.

It was a movement he could just barely see because of the fog. Though, he knew one thing; that movement wasn't supposed to be there.

"Jing? Jing, do you see that?" he whispered to the rabbit.

"See what? And why are we whispering?"

"That! We whisper because we can see that!"

"Bao! Bao, Bao, Bao, Bao, Bao! What is it?"

"I don't know. But it looks like… Orange?"

"I… Oh my fluffy tail!"

Suddenly it was in front of them, and they could get a better look. It wasn't an 'it', but a 'she'. The two travelers stared at her with big eyes. She was wearing a white cloak that was covering the most of her body, making her even harder to see in the snow. But her face… That was why they had seen the orange color. Her fur was like fire, the black stripes eating of it, decorating it.

Her bright orange eyes were looking down at them, and her mouth was slowly forming into a smile, so they could see her sharp fangs. Jing whimpered and fell to the ground while covering his head. Baojia remained standing, unable to look away from the tiger in front of him.

Why was a woman like her in the mountain? And how could she move that fast? As a wind brushed through her clothes, he suddenly realized one thing. "Ghost!" he shrieked, and whimpered as a low laughter came from the tiger.

"Poor, poor travelers. Stupid enough to climb _my_ mountain."

"Your…?"

"The noises of your footsteps are harming my ears. Your scent is terrorizing my nose. But I'll give you a chance. What have you to offer me for my kindness?"

Jing immediately laid his bag in front of her feet, and Baojia soon did the same. But the ghost remained staring at them, and soon he couldn't take it anymore. "Please, Miss…?" He waited for her to give him her name, but the answer he got didn't help him at all.

She tilted her head when she looked at him, and he felt like her glance was digging into his soul. "I can't remember it anymore," she said slowly, "It's so long time since somebody did use it."

Baojia gulped loudly, and the rabbit beside him whimpered. "Please, we are just poor travelers. People said that this was the quickest road. We never heard that it was haunted…"

Her smile became even bigger. "People don't talk about me," she said in a sugar sweet voice, "because no _living_ person knows about me."

Jing finally let out the scream he had been holding back. Baojia realized that they needed to actually do something, and then he spotted the bags. The ghost hadn't been touching them, but maybe she wasn't able to. Maybe it was his job to show her the stuff. Embracing his only idea, he started unpacking them.

"We have some maps, two old blankets, a teddy bear, some underpants…"

The rabbit leaned closer to him, but never took his eyes of the ghost tiger while whispering into his friend's ear, "I used those."

"I mean some garbage," Baojia quickly corrected himself, "Bread, bruised fruit, the Dragon Warrior's autograph, oh here we have it; my good-luck charm amulet. It's made of pure silver and…"

"Dragon Warrior?" The ghost suddenly spoke in a whole new voice, almost like a growl instead of the sweet tone.

The two travelers nodded. "And I promise you that it's real. Whole new, written by the Dragon Warrior himself a few days ago in Gongmen City. Right in the middle of the celebration of the defeat of Lord Shen."

"Tell me about this Dragon Warrior." There was no doubt about that she wouldn't accept a 'no'.

"He… He's a panda. Never trained Kung Fu before Grand Master Oogway chose him. But somehow he's amazing! Defeated both Tai Lung and Sheng! And…"

"Quiet! When did Oogway chose him?"

"A… About a half year ago, just before he died."

When he had spoken the last word, the ghost's face changed. First she became shocked, her eyes widened, but then she began to smile. Then came a laughter, it almost sounded like she was howling.

"Oogway dead?" Again they nodded. Finally the laughter slowly died, and the tiger turned to them again, "I'll let you live. But don't you dare speak of me, or I'll show up when you aren't expecting it."

And without waiting a second Baojia and Jing ran away with such a speed that Tigress doubted that they would survive the climb down of the mountain. Not that she cared that much. With shaking paws, Tigress leaned down to take the food. She and her mother could eat it tonight. She then threw the rest of the stuff down of the mountain.

Tigress didn't even remember her way back to the cave. She ran, jumped, climbed; all by instinct. And before she knew of it, she was at the entrance of her home. Her mother was meditating, but opened her eyes when her daughter walked in.

"Out to scare some travelers again? You need a better hobby, dear."

"Oogway's dead," Tigress said, almost breathless, "He died about a half year ago."

Seconds passed before her mother reacted to her words. "Finally!" the owl exclaimed and spread out her wings. "That stupid turtle finally went down to his age."

"There's more," Tigress told her, "He managed to choose a Dragon Warrior before he died."

"Did he? That only means more fun to us."

"It's a panda," Tigress said slowly, as if she was thinking deeply about her words, "But I'll see it before I believe it."

Fenghuang smiled to her, "You can look after when you kill him."

Tigress nodded, "When do we start?"

"Right now, of course. I have waited way too long time for my revenge. Now Shifu is going to pay… But let us first give him a little visit from an old student. I am sure he has been has been missing that tiger cub he met at the orphanage twenty years ago."

Tigress leaned her head back and laughed at her mother's comment. "Well, I am sure looking forward to meet him."

"Then let's not wait anymore."

The two of them were about to leave the cave when Tigress stopped. "What about Uncle Yun-qi? Shouldn't we leave a note if he comes back?"

Fenghuang sighed. It was now over a year ago that they had seen Yun-qi. The owl wasn't nervous though; Yun-qi liked travelling and he often ended up the weirdest places. It wasn't the first time in the time she had known him that he had disappeared like that. But Tigress on the other hand, took it differently. It was clear that she was missing her uncle, even though she now was a grown up woman.

"He'll figure it out."

"But…"

"You shouldn't be doubting this, dear. Don't you want to start?"

Tigress lowered her head, "Of course, Mother."

"Good. You already know the plan. But are you ready?"

Tigress unsheathed her claws and growled dangerously, "I am."

Fenghuang folded her wings together, "I know you are."

Her daughter smiled to her, and then ran towards the exit of the cave. There she jumped from the cliff and fell down in the mist beneath her. Not a single time was fear in her mind; she knew that her mother would catch her. And sure enough, soon she felt Fenghuang's talons grabbing her shoulders.

Her mother would never let her fall.

* * *

There were many things that Po didn't expect to happen that day. One of them of the things was that a female tiger would enter his dad's shop. A pretty female tiger. Though, she didn't look like the girls you would normally see, those who wear dresses. This tigress was wearing a white cloak, and under that black silk pants and a purple vest. It looked like… Clothes that a Kung Fu Warrior would wear!

"Soul match!" Po whispered excited, "Tiger is so much gonna love her!"

He had trouble with standing still as the tigress walked directly towards him. She slowly smiled and her eyes glittered excited. When they were in front of each other, she bowed to him, and he quickly did the same to her.

"Excuse me, but am I right when I say that you are the famous Dragon Warrior?"

Her eyes were looking so intense, that Po let out a nervous laugh. "He-he… You are so right about that, Miss…? Uh…"

"Tigress. My name is Tigress."

The panda's smile became even bigger, "I know someone you should definitely meet. Your names are…"

"I am actually here to meet someone. And I think that you can help me with that, Dragon Warrior."

"So who is it that you know that I maybe know that knows you? 'Cause I know someone named Tiger who maybe knows you that maybe know him."

Tigress raised her eyebrows, "I am aware that you are Master Shifu's student."

"That's right."

"Can you get me to Master Shifu?"

Po widened his eyes, "Wait! You know Shifu? Well, everybody kinda knows him, but you like really knows him? How? Did you train along with him or…? Nah, you aren't as old as Shifu. Not even close if you know what I mean. Shifu is like hundred years… Don't tell him I said that."

Tigress held up a paw to stop him. "Actually, I am an old student."

In surprise, Po dropped his mouth, "Really? Shifu haven't said anything about you."

The female tiger started to laugh, "That wouldn't surprise me. It's all very long time ago, and we haven't seen each other since."

"Why?"

"My training stopped very quickly."

"Uh…" Po couldn't hold back his curiosity, "Why?"

"I got a family."

Po's excitement dropped. Finally he finds a female to Tiger, and then this happens. "You're married? Well, congratulations."

Again, she laughed, "Oh no, Dragon Warrior. I am definitely not married." She caught his glance and added, "And I do not have any children. But why would you like to know that?" she asked him with a devilish smile.

The poor panda blushed. "Not on that way! I have a friend that could use a… Never mind," he sighed, realizing that this was too complicated. But he still hoped that Tiger would like his new friend. Maybe a girlfriend would help on grumpy Tiger's mood. "Let's find Shifu."

As they walked towards the Jade Palace Po tried many times to start a conversation. But this tigress somehow ended all his tries. She wasn't that talkative.

It was first when they had climbed the last couple of stairs that the Furious Five saw them. In a flash they were in front of Tigress, some of them smiling, some of them just glaring at her.

"Who's your friend, Po?"

"This," he pointed at the female tiger, "is Tigress. Master Shifu's old student."

The Five shared glances. "I haven't heard about an old student named Tigress," Monkey said while looking distrustful at Tigress.

"Well, maybe you haven't been listening closely," she sneered, but then calmed herself down, "If you doubt me, then ask Master Shifu."

"Don't worry, we'll do that when we see him," Tiger growled with his arms crossed over his chest, "Haven't I seen you before?"

Viper slithered closer, "You actually do look kind of familiar."

Tigress simply shrugged, "I don't remember a meeting."

"So if Shifu has been your master, then who is it now?" Mantis asked her, "Someone we know?"

"Some of you may find her _familiar_," she spat out while looking at Tiger, "because she is me."

"Wait. What?"

"I trained myself," Tigress proudly said. When she heard a snort come from Tiger, she turned around to face him, "Are you doubting my fighting skills?"

"If you are so sure of yourself, then why not prove it in a battle?"

"Even though I truly want to punch you, I unfortunately don't have the time," Tigress gave back without even looking at him.

Tiger growled and took a step towards her, but Monkey held a hand out and stopped him. "Easy, Tiger. Don't kill this one yet; I actually like her."

"Why? She offended me!"

"That's why!"

Viper shook her head, and took place beside Po. "Is _she_ really your friend?" she whispered to him, not liking how aggressive the tigress was.

Po whispered back, "She was sweeter in the Noodle Shop."

"Excuse me, but I didn't came here to talk with you. I came here to see Master Shifu, so could anyone pull themselves together and take me to him?" Tigress said, getting inpatient. Even though her plan was to stay here in a couple of days before she and her mother would start the big battle, she couldn't wait to see the enemy for the first time in twenty years. In the time she would be here, she would make sure to make his memory fresh again; it would be much more fun to kill him if he knew she was the innocent girl he had trained so long time ago.

"If you really want to see him," Monkey started, "then turn around."

Tigress widened her eyes in confusion, but did what he said. And there she saw him.

Shifu was standing with his hands behind his back. He was watching her closely, "Do I know you?"

A big smile came on Tigress' face, "Master Shifu. Long time since last, huh?"

* * *

A/N: Hope you liked it!

So Baojia and Jing are made by the weird part of my brain. But seriously, you can't help but love them! "Bao, Bao, Bao, Bao, Bao!" I made me laugh while writing that! "Oh my fluffy tail!"

As you can read, Tigress has now reached the age she have in the movies, and the story now take place after the second film. But as you can see, she isn't exactly the same as in the movies. She is more devilish and likes to play with her victims (as you can see with Baojia and Jing), mainly because there haven't been a lot of people in her life. Her mood changes quickly, and she is very inpatient. Top on that, she is more animal-like if you could say that, so she often shows her fangs and claws, and is often on all four legs. I just want to point this out, so you don't start talking about she is out of character.

Thank you for reading, and I would be very glad if you would leave a review.


	7. Storytelling With Masks

A/N: Here I am! With a chapter! Yes people, The Search For Golden Times will be the next.

Thank you so much for all your support. It means a lot.

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Storytelling With Masks **

Shifu tilted his head in confusion. "Your name, please?"

Tigress just continued smiling, "I thought you would remember me, Shifu. But of course it all happened so long time ago."

The others became alert by the way she greeted their master. Who was she? What was she doing here? Po took a step towards his master, "Master Shifu! This is Tigress. I met her in the Noodle Shop and she asked to see you, so I brought her here…" He trailed of and looked from the master to the tiger.

The red panda's face was like frozen, and he just stared at Tigress with widened eyes. Finally, he blinked and a surprised look came on his face. "Tigress?"

"And now you recognize me!"

"You have grown," Shifu said calmly, "A lot."

Tigress crossed her arms, "Well, you I can see that you have gotten _older_ too. Time flies quickly."

The Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior just stared with no idea of what was going on. But then Tiger made eye contact with his master, "She says that she is an old student of you. Is she speaking the truth?"

Shifu nodded slowly, "You could say that."

"Any reason why we haven't heard about her?"

"What I decide to share with you is up to me, Tiger. Not you," he answered with a stern voice.

Tiger growled silently, barely enough to hear, and then bowed, "Of course, Master. Forgive me. Her statement just came to me as a surprise."

Shifu turned back to Tigress who still hadn't moved, "May I ask, Tigress, what brings you here after so many years?"

"I am on a travel through China, and when I remembered the Valley of Peace I saw it as an opportunity to finally visit you. If I may, then I would like to stay a couple of days."

Again, the master had to blink with his eyes before he could answer. "Yes, of course. You'll be very welcome. Maybe Po could start making dinner now, and we can tell the others the story while we eat?" he suggested, glancing at the panda.

"That sounds great, Shi… Uhm, Master Shifu," Tigress corrected herself. She couldn't just speak of him like she did with her mother. There was no time to mess up now.

As she walked past Tiger, she made sure that she hit him on the knee with her tail as hard as she could. If that tiger wanted a fight, then let him get one.

* * *

"And here we go," Po said as he gave them the bowls of noodles. "Hope you'll like it."

"They'll be good as always," Viper told him.

Monkey had been testing his patience in way too long time, and now he couldn't hold it in, "So shall we start the story?"

By his words, all his students turned their attention towards their master. They all wanted to know more about this mysterious tigress that just suddenly showed up.

Shifu cleared his throat," I believe so. Tigress, will you tell?"

Tigress smiled from her seat, "I think you should have the honor, Master Shifu." Oh, how she wanted to hear his story of what had happened. Let him tell his lies; they would all know the truth in the end. She would make sure of that.

"I'll tell it then. It all happened twenty years ago, just after…." He trailed of, as he couldn't say his son's name. But Tigress and all the others knew what he would have said; _Tai Lung_. But none of them commented it and they let him continue. "I received a message from Bao Gu Orphanage that desperately needed my help. They had problems with dealing with a six year old tiger that had no control of her strength."

"Wonder who that was," Tiger murmured sarcastically, but it was so low that Shifu didn't hear it. But Tigress, who sat in between Shifu and Tiger, heard every word. She promised herself that she would kill him slowly and painfully.

"Tigress was at that time isolated in her room that was for her always locked. The caretakers warned me about the so-called monster I had to tame, but you can imagine my surprise when I saw that the monster was only a little girl."

"How awful!" Viper exclaimed and sent Tigress a glance full of pity.

Tigress made sure that her face looked like she was bored, "It didn't kill me, so no big deal."

"I started to train with Tigress every day, where I taught her how to control her strength and temper. After months, the lessons succeeded as no one were afraid of her."

Widening her eyes a little, Tigress held back a growl. Was that was he told himself? That everybody loved her and everything was like a fairytale? Ha! If it wasn't for her mother, she would have rotten up in that orphanage.

"I was no longer needed after that, so the training stopped. I soon after heard that Tigress had become adopted and had left the valley," Shifu finished and glanced at Tigress, "I sure hope that luck followed you after that."

Tigress nodded, "My life has been tough, but happy. I got a mother, and for that I am grateful."

"You said you were a Kung Fu Master. Care to tell us more about that?" a voice that clearly belonged to Tiger asked her.

She turned her head towards him, "'Master' is maybe a little too much. But I taught myself Kung Fu since I left the orphanage, and I am sure when I say that my skills are impressive."

"Then maybe you can join us in training tomorrow? I'll sure it will be fun," Viper suggested.

"I would like the opportunity to train in a real training hall, so thank you for giving me the chance," Tigress told them.

Suddenly, Crane remembered something," Tigress, have you ever lived in the village An-Xin? It lies near the Northern Mountains."

"I have, actually, for a short time. Why?" Tigress asked even though she knew the answer.

Mantis jumped a little closer to her, "Because then I think we have met you before. Do you remember an episode about twelve years ago, where some travelers caught you in stealing, but then gave you some money?"

"Are you accusing me of being a thief, Master Mantis?" Tigress said with light humor in her voice. When the bug opened his mouth to apologize, she stopped him. "But you are right. Something like that actually happened. I should have recognized you now as them, but unfortunately my memories are a little fuzzy when I think back at that time. Sickness and starving was something I wanted to forget and I actually did it. But I guess I owe you a 'thank you'," she said, smiling.

"Well, we were just glad that we could help," Viper told her.

"I told you we had seen her before," Tiger grumbled.

Viper hit him with her tail to make him quiet, "So, Tigress, how is your mother?"

"Very good, thank you. Luck chose to return to us, and our lives became easier."

"So you were adopted by a lonely woman?" Mantis asked, and received a sharp glance from the tigress, "It's not to offense anyone, it's just that it's unusual for a woman to adopt a child when she already is living alone. It's usually the man that takes care of the family so…"

"Women can handle themselves perfectly without a man, Master Mantis. I am sure that Master Viper will agree with me on that," Tigress spoke and then returned her attention to her noodles. Even though she hated to admit it, then she actually liked the food. She and her mother had eaten what they could find, and that wasn't much.

"Where do you live now?" Crane asked to change subject before it could get ugly.

Tigress gave him a mysterious smile, "I have lived many places. Mother and I don't like staying in one place in too long time. New places and new people is what I am used to." Lie after lie came out of her mouth, but Tigress barely noticed it. All her words, all her sentences, it was all planed and she had nearly practiced all the answers while she grew up. Her part in the play right now was to play a role, first later she would show them the real warrior she was.

"I don't think that answers the question," Tiger told her with a dark voice.

With her head tilted, Tigress glanced at him, "You are one of those suspicious types, aren't you?"

"I trust people when they deserve it."

"Funny enough, I did that too when I was little. But then I realized that if I never trusted someone then I would end up being lonely," Tigress told him and took another spoonful noodles.

The others stared at her with widened eyes. How did she dare to say something like that to Tiger while being so calm? Did she actually want him as an enemy?

Tigress just smirked at their faces. "The noodles are delicious, Dragon Warrior. It's long time since I have had such a great meal."

Before Po could answer, Tiger spoke, "And how did you end up in the orphanage?"

"Tiger!" Viper hissed warningly.

Tigress knew what he was doing. He was trying to hit her weak spot. Too bad for him that she couldn't care less about her real family. They didn't want anything to do with her, and she didn't want anything to do with them. Even if she knew who they were, she would never try and contact them. Fenghuang was the best mother in the world and couldn't be replaced.

"Frankly, I don't know. But honestly, I don't care. And what about you, Master Tiger? How did you end up in the Jade Palace?"

He had obviously not expected that. For a moment his blank expression faltered, but then it came back, stronger than ever. "Master Shifu heard of me when I was ten. My Kung Fu skills were great enough for me to become his student."

"And I guess about the same story goes from all of you," Tigress said, smiling to them all. "But then of course there is the Dragon Warrior. A different story there, after what I have heard. Fell from the sky on a ball of fire. A surprise to everyone, indeed."

Po looked a bit uncomfortable by her words, "Well, yes. But we kinda a quickly got along, right, guys?"

The others, except for Shifu and Tiger, nodded slowly.

"But the doubt about you must have disappeared when you fully took the place of the Dragon Warrior. First the defeat of Tai Lung, and now also Lord Shen. I wonder when you once again have to prove your worth by defeating your next enemy," Tigress told him.

Po shrugged and looked at the others to get some support. The nearly hungry look in the tigress eyes scared him, "Hopefully that enemy won't come soon. But of course I'll be totally ready for it! The next creepy guy will only last a second before he realize he can't do anything against my awesomeness!"

"Of course, Dragon Warrior. The enemy will shake in fear just you glance at him," Tigress said with an amused voice.

The others glanced nervously around, feeling uncomfortable. But Po on the other hand, had the biggest grin on his face. "You see, guys? Finally someone who understands me!"

Master Shifu cleared his throat to remind Po of keeping his voice on a normal level. Then he turned his glance to his guest, "Tigress, have you ever thought of getting a master? The way you speak of your Kung Fu skills tells me that you could make masters interested of taking you in as a student. With the right teaching, you can become even better."

Tigress bowed her head, "Thank you, Master Shifu, but I don't believe I would fit in. My skills may be good, but not good enough. But of course you'll get the chance to judge it tomorrow."

"I still have contact with many other masters. If you want, I could tell them about you."

Tigress shook her head, "Thank but no thanks. I can't leave my mother."

"Now you mention it, where is your mother right now?" Monkey asked, "She obviously isn't with you."

"She's on her way. She had to make some… Preparations. When she reaches the Valley of Peace, I'll meet with her and we will continue our travel from here."

"Will we meet her? Your mother?" Po asked Tigress.

The female tiger blinked with her eyes, "Maybe, Dragon Warrior. We'll see."

"I believe it's time for all of you to go to bed," Master Shifu announced, "Viper, please show Tigress her room."

"Yes, Master," Viper said and bowed.

Soon the others did the same as her, "Goodnight, Master."

Tigress waited to the others was finished, "Good night, Master Shifu. Sleep well."

As the students and the guest left the room, Tigress thought to herself, "_'You better sleep now, Shifu, 'cause by tomorrow night you won't get the chance. You'll have something else to deal with, trust me._"

"So this is the guest room," Viper told her as she opened the door. "I hope you'll find it comfortable."

"Thank you, Master Viper. Sweet dreams."

"Sweet dreams to you too, Tigress. I'll see you tomorrow." With that the snake closed the door to leave Tigress alone in the room.

But the tigress didn't go to bed. She placed herself on the floor where she started meditating. She could just as well use the time properly.

First after hours, she started moving again. Now everybody should be asleep. After having opened her door slowly, Tigress walked through the hall, her eyes glowing in the dark. The temptation to find Shifu while he was sleeping was big, but now wasn't the time. She had to follow the plan. Plus, her mother should be the one to kill the red panda. Tigress had promised her that.

Tigress went directly to the peach tree. It was the best spot. On all fours she glanced at the sky, waiting. Finally she saw it. Her mother, so far away, was flying over her. From Tigress' vision she looked so small, like a tiny bird. Fenghuang circled around her, but Tigress remained still. Tonight her mother wouldn't get the signal. She still needed some time.

Fenghuang understood that, and started to fly away. Tigress followed her with her eyes, but in a matter of seconds she couldn't even see her anymore.

Sighing, she turned around to go back to her room. She actually needed sleep after all. But before she could enter the barracks someone blocked her way.

And that someone was Tiger.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading my story. Next one will be 'The Search For Golden Times'. But as you can read in my profile, the updates will be slower (information on my profile). I would be very glad if you reviewed ;)


	8. Reason To Fear

A/N: Sorry for the wait. Got a major case of writer's block. Not a pretty sight… But now I am back, stronger than... No, wouldn't say that. But at least I come up with a chapter.

Thank you for the support guys! Means a lot!

Also if anyone of my readers want a 'behind the scenes-information' about my stories, please check my profile. I kinda changed it all into a new look.

As I have said before, but now repeat to answer some questions, there will be no Tigress/Tiger romance. I have way other plans with Tiger…

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Reason To Fear **

Tigress held in a breath. The male tiger hadn't seen her yet, but it was only a matter of seconds before he would. Better act as normal as possible. But as she straightened up, she noticed something weird. In Tiger's paws was something golden. Looking closer she realized it was a scroll, green with golden pattern covering it.

But before she could get a closer look, Tiger saw her. His face was first shocked, but then anger came in a matter of a seconds. "What are you doing out here?"

"Such a good question. I could use it on you too."

He growled, "You are supposed to be sleeping."

"And so are you."

"You have no right to question a master."

"Aren't you just a student?"

He glared angrily at her, "Like you are something better than me."

"Let's make a deal; you'll answer a question of mine and I'll answer yours."

Tigress waited for him to answer, and finally he took his decision. "Maybe, but I'll hear the question first."

"What's this?" she asked, pointing at the scroll in his paws. "Your reason to be up late?"

Tiger narrowed his eyes, "It's a letter."

"I see that. But why receiving a letter this late at night? Having secrets for your master?"

He growled again. Tigress grinned at how easily she could tick him off. He looked at the scroll, then back at her. "It's from my parents, alright?"

Her grin faded, "Then why…?"

"Because they live far away, and the messenger had travelled all day. With only a few breaks, this will be the time where he arrives. Are there any problems with that?"

"Not really…"

"Not that you would know anything about it. You're an orphan."

Tigress hissed, "I have a mother!"

But the male tiger didn't even seem to have noticed her answer. "Your turn to explain why you are here."

The smile came back to her face, "Just enjoying the fresh night air. But I should get back inside now. I wouldn't like to become sick." But as she tried to walk past him, he suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her against the wall. "What are you doing, you no-good…?!"

"Listen to me," he hissed into her ear. "I know you are not who you pretend to be, I know you are lying, and I know you are up to something. What exactly, I don't know, but believe me when I say, that I am going to find out."

Despite the situation, Tigress didn't felt threatened. According to her, the male tiger was just showing her his muscles. But she wouldn't let that frighten her. She leaned her head closer to his, "You are scared of me."

He was about to protest, but she continued anyway, "You are scared because we are so alike. Both tigers, both warriors, both trained by Shifu."

"I am _not _like you!" Tiger spat at her, tightening his grip.

"We both love Kung Fu."

"You do not have a master!"

"If Shifu ever come back to his senses so much that he will kick you out, then you end up exactly like me." They were so close now that her lips touched his ear. "_Except I can make you cry,_" Tigress whispered.

Tiger looked like he was going to get choked. He forcefully slammed her back against the wall again, but she didn't as much as flinch. "Be careful or you'll wake your friends," Tigress teased him.

"If you as much as touch any of them…"

"You'll come and get me? Please, Master Tiger, I am after all only a girl. How in the world could I be more powerful than you?" she asked with her sugar-sweet voice. "But I can assure you, that you don't want me as an enemy."

"Little too late now, isn't it?"

Tigress didn't smile anymore. Her eyes were burning, a sign of that her anger was coming. "I will enjoy kicking your butt. But not right now… Tomorrow in the training hall will be more properly."

"You are getting yourself into some serious trouble."

"It's a good thing I like troubles then." She pulled herself away from him. "You better keep an eye on your tail; you never know who might step on it."

"I'll give you one day. By tomorrow night you better be out of here. I don't like having thieves in my palace."

Tigress widened her eyes and her grin returned. "'My palace'? You sure have some big thoughts about yourself, Master Tiger. But you know what? I can tell you the exact reason why you want me out of here." She paused for a moment to get his full attention. "Because you are scared of you being replaced with me."

Tiger's eyes narrowed. "Listen to me, thief. I am a part of the Jade Palace. The others are a part of it. But you… You are no one. I have no reason to fear you!"

"I was trained by Shifu before you. I was younger than you when I impressed him with my Kung Fu. And tomorrow I'll show them all that I am better than you. I don't blame you for fearing me, Master Tiger. 'Cause we both know that if my mother hadn't adopted me, then Shifu would have taken me in as a student, and you would never have been discovered." Tigress was bluffing, but she didn't show it. The thing about Shifu choosing her as his student was a lie, but Tigress knew she would hurt the male tiger by saying it.

"Good thing it didn't turn out that way, isn't it?" With a firm hand he shoved her away from him, towards the door to the barracks. "Back to bed, thief."

"Well, goodnight, Master Tiger," Tigress said and walked back inside with her head high. She had showed him that she was just as strong as him, even stronger actually, and that was what she wanted. That tiger better had to learn his place, or she'll have to show him it.

Tigress smiled when she thought of the day when she and her mother would take over the Jade Palace. Maybe she would let the tiger live. Yeah, it was actually a good idea.

He would be a nice slave.

* * *

"Good morning, Master."

Tigress slowly stepped out from her room, a few seconds after the others. "Good morning, Master Shifu," she said calmly.

Tiger was standing in front of her, glaring daggers at her. But she ignored it and turned her attention to the red panda that was staring at all of them. "Good morning, students. Tigress," he said turning to her, "I hope you slept well."

"Thank you, Master Shifu. I did."

"Students, after breakfast I want all of you to join me in the training hall. Tigress, you are very welcome to be a part of the training, if you want."

The tigress nodded, and Master Shifu turned around to leave the students alone. Viper slithered her way to stand beside Tigress. "You will be training with us, right?"

"Of course. I wouldn't miss my opportunity to train with real masters," Tigress said while smiling brightly. As they started to walk towards to kitchen, she noticed that Tiger hadn't moved. "Master Tiger, aren't you joining us?"

The male tiger snorted, "No thanks. I am not hungry."

"Come on, Tiger," Po said while hitting the tiger's shoulder with his fist. "You can tell the guest all the stories of how awesome you are!" He leaned closer to Tigress, "Did you know he once took out a whole army by himself?"

"Well, it wouldn't surprise me, Dragon Warrior. After all the stories I have heard of Master Tiger I doubt that anyone can defeat him. Well, except you, of course. You are after all the Dragon Warrior."

Po blushed. "Nah, it's mostly teamwork that does it."

"I highly doubt that, Dragon Warrior. It was you who defeated Tai Lung when the Furious Five couldn't."

"So you have heard that story?" Monkey asked, and they all started walking.

Tigress let out a laugh. "Whole China has heard that story, Master Monkey. But you don't have to worry; we all admire you even though Tai lung was stronger."

"About that, you might want to avoid saying that name while Master Shifu can hear it," Crane told her and the others nodded.

"Why that?" Tigress asked with, but she did have an idea of why. Her mother had told about Tai Lung and the big tragedy that happened when he was denied the Dragon Scroll. But he was just another person that Shifu had hurt. But she would avenge the leopard. And the Dragon Scroll… The Dragon Scroll would be hers. She would take it after defeating the Dragon Warrior.

"You know that Master Shifu…"

"I know the story of Tai Lung. I just didn't know that Master Shifu still hasn't come over it," Tigress told them.

"Just don't mention Tai Lung while he can hear it, okay? It has become better since he was defeated, but Master still gets sad."

Tigress nodded as a promise not to say the name. Not that it was so important to her. Her thoughts came to her own mother, and the sad feeling of missing someone hit her hard. But she just had to wait one day more… Just one day.

* * *

Quicker and quicker Tigress spun around, her movements almost like a dance. She dodged, kicked, hit and attacked while getting more and more powerful. Oh, how she loved this. But she had to hold back. She couldn't show them how strong she actually was.

"Enough," Master Shifu said and immediately Tigress and Viper pulled away from each other.

"Wow, that was awesome!" Po exclaimed as they others came closer. "Where did you learn that?"

"Training, Dragon Warrior, training. But thank you," Tigress said, smiling. "And thank you, Master Viper for a great fight. I truly enjoyed it."

"Me too, Tigress. You did very well."

"Can I be the next?" Monkey asked. "I want to fight her too!"

Tigress crouched down in an attacking position. "Are you sure, Master Monkey?" she said in a threatening, though joking, tone. "You might regret it."

"Hey, why not let Tiger fight her? I would like to see two tigers fight!" Mantis told the, jumping up and down.

"Mantis is so right! Let us see a catfight!" Po yelled, just as excited as the bug.

"If Master Tiger want, then I'm in," Tigress said, looking at the male tiger.

He shook his head, "No thanks."

"Aw… Come on, Tiger. Please?" Po begged.

"I would like to train for real, not on level one."

"Tiger!" Viper hissed. "Be nice! Tigress is actually very good."

"That's just because you let her win!"

"Tiger, enough!" Master Shifu thundered. "Show some respect."

The male tiger bowed his head. "My apologies. But I would like to train on my own."

Shifu nodded, "Then do that."

The others watched him go, and Po laid a comforting paw on Tigress' shoulder. "Don't mind him. He's just in a bad mood. Maybe he'll like to fight later."

"Maybe, Dragon Warrior, maybe."

* * *

When it was the middle of the night again, Tigress walked outside just like the night before. Her mother would need a different signal now. When the sun would rise, then she would need her mother's help. The time was right now.

After only a few minutes of waiting by the peach tree, her mother showed up on the sky. This time Tigress stood up on two legs, the signal they had agreed. Her mother flew away once again, but this time she wouldn't be too far away.

Tigress held in a laugh of joy. She was so close now. So close. She had been waiting in so long time, but now all the patience would pay. When the sun rose, the time would come.

"I knew it," a voice from behind her hissed. "I knew you were up to something."

She turned around to see Tiger standing there. And she had never seen him so angry before. The hair on his back stood up straight and his fangs were visible.

"So your mother is an owl… And I know who."

Tigress tilted her head, "Say hello to the daughter of Fenghuang."

"I knew you were up to something. I won't let you do this."

"You wouldn't fight me in the training hall. Will you fight me now?"

He took a step forward, "I will kill you!"

"I am all yours."

Tiger jumped forward, but at that time Tigress had already disappeared. She suddenly jumped at him from behind, but he leaned forward and shook her off. They both had unsheathed their claws, and growls filled the night.

Tigress lashed out and managed to scratch his chest. Though, this didn't slow him down and he pressed her against the tree's trunk. She slammed her feet against his body and threw him off her. After that she crawled up in the top of the tree.

She knew that Tiger had the opportunity to call his friends, but she also knew that he wouldn't. He would defeat her all by himself. Too bad for him that it wasn't going to happen.

Her paw found its way inside her vest, where it found her hidden, little knife. Why not bring weapon into this? Suddenly the male tiger was leaping at her, appearing through the leaves. Tigress swung herself out of one of the braches, and felt how the old tree was shaking under the weight. If they continued the way they were doing now, then it wouldn't hold.

Tiger had slammed against the trunk when she moved away, but now he was coming back at her. The tree finally cracked when he used it to gain more speed, and the old wood started to fall forward with the two tigers on it.

Tigress didn't get away and Tiger slammed into her, grabbing her wrist. The knife felt from her paw, but dug into the branch. The tree was now falling over the edge of the cliff and they both had to jump now, if not they would have to fall with it.

When Tiger also realized this, Tigress used the fact that he was distracted and kicked him away. But he managed to stay on the tree and soon the two tiger raced to get to the top of the tree, to get to safety.

In the middle of the night sounded a roar full of pain.

* * *

A/N: Catfight! A big one! But who roared? That's the question. Look forward the next chapter where the big battle will take place! That's right, people! All what we have been waiting for is coming up! But who are you cheering on? Fenghuang and Tigress or the Masters of the Jade Palace?

Thank you all for your support! Please review and tell me what you think? Who is going to win, and who do you want to win?

For those of you who have seen all three Madagascar movies; I have published the first chapter to my first Madagascar story, Triple Trouble. Please check it out, guys/girls!


	9. Unmasked

A/N: Sorry for the wait! Stories, poems, paintings, auditions, homework… It all takes my time! But I am back again to the grand finally.

Thank you so much, guys! We have now reached over 100 reviews! Can we reach 200 before this story is over? I believe we can!

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

Hey, since all of you were on Tigress and Fenghuang's side… Okay, I'll let them kill Shifu. Now I know you don't mind… Sorry, Shifu!

**Spread Your Wings, Unmasked **

The warriors at the Jade Palace woke with a shock as they heard a loud roar coming from the outside. They all left their rooms to look at each other with widened eyes. Then they realized that Tiger's and Tigress' room were empty.

"Tiger!" Viper exclaimed in worry for their friend.

"Man, this can't be good!" Mantis yelled as they all rushed outside to find their friend. Master Shifu met them there and raised a questioning eyebrow.

Po shrugged. "We don't know."

"Yet," Crane said, ending the panda's sentence. "But I think we soon can find out."

They all followed his glance and looked at the peach tree. Or more correctly; the missing peach tree. "Where did it go?" Monkey asked.

"A tree can't just disappear, Monkey. But it can fall," Viper said as they reached the empty spot. They all looked over the edge and found the tree. Many, many meters below them they could barely see its form in the darkness.

"Oh no," Po whispered and they all raced down to try and find their tiger friend. All except Master Shifu who remained standing at the edge, his eyes showing sorrow as he watched the destroyed memory of his master.

"Tiger! Tiger, where are you?" They yelled as they climbed and jumped down. But what they find didn't calm them at all.

The peach tree had met the ground in a crushing meeting and now splinters lay everywhere. "Tiger?" As they came closer, they saw a cruel sight. Under the nearly destroyed tree trunk a bloody paw could just be seen.

"Tiger!" They all ran towards the trunk and combined they managed to lift it away. But what they found wasn't pretty. "Tiger," Viper whispered sadly.

Mantis jumped closer, but quickly took some steps back. "He's dead," he declared, and they all hung with their heads. Viper cried softly. "Why?"

"Did he… Jump?" Po gulped, looking at the others with despair in his eyes. Why had this happened to his friend?

"No," Crane said. "Look." He pointed at the dead tiger's chest where a knife was sitting, making his fur red.

They all gasped as it now was completely sure that their friend had been murdered. "But who…? Tigress!"

"Looking for me?" a voice said from above them.

"You!"

Tigress grinned brightly. "Me?" Her fur was colored with blood, if it was hers or Tiger's they did not know.

"Murderer!" Viper hissed and shot herself forward, ready to strangle the female tiger.

But Tigress just jumped onto a higher branch, looking down at her while shaking her head. "No, not here. I need a better playground." With that she jumped away, sprinting her way back to the palace.

"After her!" Viper yelled and they all started running after her.

"Nice friend you got there, Po!" Mantis said sarcastically.

"What? I didn't know she would do that!"

"Well, thanks to you Tiger is… dead."

"And that's why we need to hurry so we can avenge him!" Monkey told them as he swung from tree to tree.

Suddenly Po realized something. "Guys… Shifu's still up there!"

They all widened their eyes and increased their speed even more. Their master hadn't seen what had happened to Tiger and because of that didn't know what Tigress had done. And that missing knowledge could bring him in danger.

As they reached the place where the peach tree had used to be, Master Shifu wasn't there. "Master Shifu!" they called, but didn't get an answer. Instead they could hear fighting noises coming from the Hall of Warriors.

"This way!"

They just came in time to see Tigress getting knocked away by Shifu's staff. "Master Shifu!"

He turned around to look at him. His face showed worry when he asked, "Where's Tiger?"

The students looked at each other to get support, and Viper said quietly, "Dead." Shifu's face hardened when he heard this.

"I would have liked to keep him as a slave, but he got too annoying," Tigress hissed from the other end of the hall.

Shifu turned towards her. "Tigress, if you surrender I promise I'll…"

"You'll what? Forget me again? Let me rot up? Not again, Shifu, I'll promise you that."

"What are you…?"

"Don't pretend that you don't know! You know what you did! You can't lie about it anymore; I'll make sure of that! This, Shifu, _this_ is what I've been waiting for all my life! And you just suggest me to give up?" She let out a cold laugh. "And why should I do that? _This_, Shifu, is just justice coming for you!"

Tigress roared and jumped towards him, but Crane flew over the red panda's head and knocked her down before she could get him. She managed to turn around and he had to fly away or else he would get hit by her sharp claws. "Wanna play, birdy?"

"I want!" Monkey yelled and jumped at her. He curled his tail around her neck and forced her to bend backwards to the floor. Viper shot herself forwards and curled herself around the tiger's paws.

The tiger growled on anger, and before anyone else could do more to her, she found enough strength to move forward, causing Monkey to lose his grip on her. She then forced her long claws into the snake's body, and even through it didn't hurt her that badly, it still caused Viper to shriek and let go.

Tigress landed on all fours and for something seconds, she just stood there, trying to catch her breath. Master Shifu saw this and ran towards her to kick her in the stomach. She didn't have the time to block the attack and found herself rolling over the floor, until she forced her claws down in the floor to stop herself from moving. Long traces of her claws could be seen on the once perfect floor.

Mantis now attacked from under the tiger, as his little form had been able to sneak onto her. "Po, catch!" he yelled and threw the tiger towards the panda that was getting himself ready to receive the tiger.

But Tigress now found the control of herself and managed to turn around in the air, so she met him with her feet first. The panda was forced meters away from the meeting with the tiger's strong feet.

Tigress straightened up her back. "Who's next?"

Shifu sent her a cold glance which she answered with an evil smile. The red panda ran towards her but in the last second jumped in the air to kick her. Tigress saw this and crouched down on all fours so he couldn't hit her.

But as she tried to move forward, she just fell face first to the ground. Viper had curled herself around her back legs and prevented her from moving. Tigress rolled over to her back and raised her paw to claw the snake. But someone grabbed her paw and forced it behind her back, causing pain to the tiger.

"Let go!" she hissed at the attacker, but Monkey only hardened his grip. Shifu moved forward again, but Tigress brought up her free paw and hit him away. She then hit Monkey's head and he staggered backwards by the powerful hit.

Viper uncurled herself just in time to avoid the tiger's claws. Tigress was now free once again, but just as she got up on two legs again, Crane dove down to land on her back, and now the tiger was back on the floor again.

Po quickly came over to her, and picked her up by her arms. The furious tiger squirmed and tried to kick him, but he held her far away from his body.

"Got you now!"

Tigress hissed and growled, and as Master Shifu came closer, she spat after him. "Tigress," he said with a voice full of sorrow. He would have said more, but she cut him off.

"Cowards! You are all cowards!"

Po looked at the crazy tiger in his hands and then at Shifu. "Uhm… Master? What should I do with her?" he asked, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.

"Put me down!"

"Not gonna happen!" Monkey hissed at her.

Crane now came forward after have been looking at Viper's wounds. "We are going to send her to Chorh-Gom, right?"

"What, Shifu? Are you going to lock me in again?" Tigress hissed, looking at the red panda.

"I do not understand what you are talking about, Tigress. Last time I saw you, you were a little girl in an orphanage who was called a monster... Now I am starting to think that the name fit you…" He shook his head, sadly. "What happened to you?"

"You!" she hissed. "You happened! You destroyed everything! Took everything away from us!"

"Wait!" Mantis said to the others. "'Us'? What does she mean with 'us'?"

Tigress was too busy screaming in rage to hear him. "You never tried to help me! You never cared! Never! You are just like all the others!" She suddenly stopped squirming, and looked at him dead in the eyes. "And people say you are the good one? You have done nothing but destroying lives!"

The she started kicking and clawing again. "Don't we have something to calm her down with?" Po asked. "And like do it right now!"

"I can knock her out!" Monkey suggested.

"Touch me, you dirty monkey, and you'll lose an arm!"

"Once I'm done with you, you're going to…"

"What, you fool?!"

Monkey glanced darkly at her, but then turned to the others. "Let's just throw that murderer in Chorh-Gom!"

"There's something I don't understand…" Crane said slowly, looking Tigress over again.

"Why your knees totally bend the wrong way?" Tigress hissed at him.

They all looked at Crane's knees, then back at her. "No," the bird said flatly. "I'm talking about why you would lie for us and wait with attacking us."

"Yeah, why would you do that?"

"To make it more fun," Tigress said as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

"That's it! She's insane!" Mantis declared.

"I think we knew that when we found out that she had killed Tiger," Monkey muttered darkly.

Viper slithered closer to the red panda who had been watching Tigress silently in a long time now. "Master, what are we going to do with her?"

"I…" He suddenly stopped his sentence and his big ears started moving. "What…? Po, look out!"

"Huh?" Po managed to say, before something hard hit his back. He stumbled forward and accidently released Tigress' arm. The tiger landed on two legs and span around to kick the panda in his sore spot.

Po dropped to his knees. "Auch! Oh man, that hurts!"

Tigress took some steps back as the others prepared to jump at her, but before they could do anything, someone landed between the master of the Jade Palace and Tigress. The owl spread out her wings, blocking Tigress from their sight.

Shifu recognized the intruder in a matter of seconds. "Fenghuang!" His students gasped as they all knew the story about the owl. Even Po had gotten it told from the others.

"Hello, Shifu," she said politely. "I see you have met my daughter."

The red panda completely froze in some seconds as he took in what she said. Could it really be true? Yes, it could. And that explained everything.

"You…"

"_We_ have come to take back what is ours!" She then turned around to look at Tigress. "You have done it very well, my dear. Now rest; I'll take it from here."

Tigress nodded walked backwards on all fours. She would like to see this. There was no doubt about that her mother could do this.

"So," Fenghuang started, moving into her fighting stance, "Who wants to be first?"

"That would be me," Shifu said as he took a step forward.

"Oh, Shifu. The old friends meet again."

"We're not friends."

"No, we are not. You made sure of that!" With that, Fenghuang moved forward.

The students tried to come their master to help, but Shifu held them away. "Defeat Tigress," he instructed.

Fenghuang narrowed her eyes. "You will not!"

"It's alright, Mother," Tigress said while getting up. "I can handle them."

The owl shortly nodded, and they both were ready to fight. "If you knew how long time I've been waiting for this, Shifu… Finally I am home!"

"This is not your home," Shifu hissed and ran forward to kick her.

She blocked the attack and grabbed his arm. The owl then flew upwards and there she let go of him, just to kick him in the stomach. The red panda flew out of the hall, but managed to land on his feet. He turned around himself slowly, to try and spot the attacking owl.

Suddenly she landed just beside him. "Just give up, Shifu! You can't defeat me! You can't defeat _us_!"

The two enemies talked while the fought. "When you betrayed Master Oogway, I thought you had reached the bottom, Fenghuang," Shifu said, blocking kicks and hits. "But taking an innocent child and raise her up as a weapon?"

"All you say is lies! Oogway was the one that betrayed me! And for Tigress… How dare you say that I would use my daughter on that way?!"

"She's not your daughter…"

At this point, Fenghuang's movements became even quicker. Before Shifu could block it, or even realize that it was happening, the owl had kicked him to the ground. With her talon she kept him pinned there, not giving him a way to escape.

"She is, and you cannot change that!" she hissed, leaning her face dangerously close.

Shifu struggled to breathe. "Do you love her?" he asked. "As a daughter?"

"Yes," Fenghuang answered flatly, and the red panda leaned his head back in defeat. "And I'll give her the great life she deserves. The one you took away from her!"

Shifu tried to answer, but the lack of air made it impossible. Fenghuang held up her wing, ready to pierce him with her sharp feathers. "Sorry, Shifu, but your time at the Jade Palace is over. The real masters have come home!"

And so she shoved her wing down.

* * *

"Dragon Warrior!" Tigress called. "Come and play!" All around her lay the Furious Five, with the exception of Tiger, unconscious on the floor. Now the panda was the only one left.

"I liked you so much better in the Noodle Shop!" Po exclaimed as he once again tried to attack her.

Tigress came closer, walking on a four legs. "Oh, did I make the poor panda sad?"

"For your information, lady, I'm the Dragon Warrior!"

The tiger sneered as she blocked his kick. "Who are you calling a lady?!"

"Well, you. There are only us two left and I'm clearly not… Whoah!" He had to jump back as she suddenly leapt forward, her long claws ready to make him bleed. "Bad kitty! Bad kitty!"

As she came closer he managed to kick her away and suddenly she was gone. Po turned around himself, trying to find her in the shadows. And suddenly she jumped on his back, causing the poor panda to shriek.

Po tried to shake her off, but she grabbed his arm. With determined eyes, Po grabbed her wrist, but then the tiger's teeth sunk into his arm. He managed to hit her away before the bite became too deep.

"You bit me!"

"Oh, I'm going to do much worse!"

"Bring it on!"

But she just stood there, ready for him to attack. Finally Po got tired of waiting, and ran forward with his fist ready to punch her. But when he reached her, she stepped aside and grabbed his arm. She then swung him forwards as if they were doing a dance. Po ended some meters away from her as she suddenly let go of him.

"Huh?"

He didn't had the chance to say more, as her paw hit the back of his head. "Goodnight, Dragon Warrior," Tigress said as he fell forward and landed on the ground with his face first.

"How's it going?" Fenghuang asked as she entered the hall.

"They are all out," Tigress answered. She then saw that her mother's right wing was covered in blood.

Fenghuang noticed her worried glance. "Not mine," she told her, referring to the blood. "Let's just say we don't have to worry about Shifu anymore."

Tigress nodded, and they both looked at the defeated warrior that was in the hall. They had finally done it.

The Jade Palace was now theirs.

* * *

A/N: The end. It was so nice writing this story, so thank you for all your support. Hope you enjoyed it just as much as I did… Just kidding! The story isn't over yet!

You can't blame me for killing Shifu. Remember; you wanted it. Muhahaha!

Thank you for your support!


	10. Reflection

A/N: Wow! Thank you so much for your support, guys! Sorry I had to upset you that way… But when a story want to make its way, then you gotta let it!

Just for one more time: this will be a non-romance history. And you are probably not going to see me make some Tigress/Po romance, because I'm not so happy about that couple.

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Reflection **

"Ouch…" Po murmured as he slowly woke up. "Who stepped on my head?"

"Who stepped on mine?" Monkey asked as he also got up. "Where are we?"

Crane stretched out his wing, looking at the wound Tigress had given him. Deciding that it wasn't life-threatening, he turned to his friends. "It looks like the palace's dungeon."

"So they locked us up," Monkey said and moved forwards to check on Viper who was still knocked out.

"I guess it's better than being killed," Crane said and lifted up a shackled foot. The chain led back to the cold stone wall and in front of him, blocking their way to the door, was a wall made out of bars.

Mantis was in a little cage, his tiny body not being able to wear a chain. Po walked over to the nearly awake bug. "Little man…? You alright?"

"Who… Called me… Little?"

Po grimaced, knowing what Mantis could do when he was angry. "Your head must still be spinning… You're just hearing voices."

"Ugh… What happened?" Viper asked as too got up.

"We got our butts kicked, that's it!"

Po rubbed his head. "Yeah, you're right. The last thing I remember is… Tigress! Oh no! We let the bad guys win! What are we going to do?"

But there was only silence to his answer. "Come on, guys! We can't just do nothing! Let's break out of here!"

Mantis snorted. "And how are you going to do that?"

"I'm just going to grab this bar," Po said and leaned forward. The chain just allowed him to his hands stick out through the bars. The panda grabbed one of them and tightened his grip. "And then pull!" And so he pulled with all of his might.

Nothing happened.

"Po."

"What?"

"Give up."

He looked at his friends, confusion in his eyes. "Why?"

"Because Master Oogway designed this dungeon. There's no way that we can escape from here," Monkey told him.

"But…"

"Po, if we want to get out of here, then we are going to need a key," Viper said while pointing at the lock that was on the door that led through the bars. "And my guess is that Fenghuang or Tigress has it."

"So we are just going to… Guys, where is Master Shifu?" Po suddenly asked, his face getting pale.

As the others realized the same, the ear spread to them all. "Oh no!"

"You don't think that…?"

"She did kill Tiger…"

"But Master Shifu…"

"Guys, knock it off!" Viper yelled. "Maybe he's just in another cell. Right now we just have to hope and then find a way to get out of here."

"Viper's right!" Po exclaimed and held up his fist. "We are going to show those mean people wow strong the real heroes are!"

"So how are we going to get out?" Mantis asked from his cage.

Po let his fist drop down again. "I don't know."

* * *

Tigress couldn't sleep. Again and again she turned over, but it just didn't help. Her mother had told her to rest in those couple of hours they had before the sun would rise. But even though Tigress was absolutely exhausted after such a long day, she felt no desire to sleep.

She just laid there, her eyes wide open. What was she going to do now? Since Fenghuang had adopted her, the only goal in her life had to train so she would be ready to take over the Jade Palace.

Now she had done that? So what was next?

She had gotten what she wanted, and now there was nothing left. Except enjoying that she had reached her goal.

Finally she gave up and left her bed. Tigress was still using the room Viper had given her; maybe when she explored the palace some more, she would choose a new place to sleep.

On all four she ran through the many halls on soundless paws. Her mother was standing in the middle of the Hall of Warriors, looking at the ceiling. Tigress came closer from behind her.

"Why aren't you in bed, dear?"

Tigress sat down, her head tilted. "I couldn't sleep."

"Thought so. But you could need the rest. After the perfect job you have done here, you deserve it."

The tiger looked at the ground, feeling uncomfortable. She knew that she should be happy, but the only thing she felt was this hollow feeling. "Mother, what are we going to do now?"

"Simple. When the sun is up we're going to tell the Valley of Peace that Shifu is no longer the Master of the Jade Palace. And they'll see their new masters." She turned to her daughter. "Aren't you just looking forward to this?"

Tigress shrugged. "I guess."

Fenghuang put her wing on the tiger's shoulder. "Come on, dear. We can just as well be ready."

As they walked towards the exit, Tigress suddenly asked, "What have you done with the warriors?"

"Threw them in the dungeon. You were right about how they should live or not. We'll just have to keep a good eye on them," Fenghuang answered calmly.

"And Shifu?"

Fenghuang smiled. "We don't have to see his ugly face anymore."

* * *

"Citizens of the Valley of Peace!" Fenghuang yelled, making sure that everyone could hear her. "I have to declare that Master Shifu is no longer the master of the Jade Palace." A scared mumbling spread through the crowd.

Fenghuang lifted her head. "I am!"

A single villager stepped forward. "Where is Master Shifu?"

"He left the valley along with his students."

"But where is my son?" A goose had now walked towards them.

Fenghuang tilted her head. "Excuse me?"

"My son Po. The Dragon Warrior. He wouldn't just leave like that. I'm his father!" the goose exclaimed.

Tigress couldn't help but feel guilty. Yes, the panda was annoying and absolutely useless, but still… If her mother had just disappeared, she would feel worse than awful. Poor goose.

Her mother didn't look like she felt sorry for the father. "Your son has left along with Shifu. There were some political things they had to solve. Maybe he will return soon."

The goose looked like he would say more, but a villager grabbed him by the wing and led him back into the crowd.

"But I am now proud to present you your new Dragon Warrior," Fenghuang said and gently shoved Tigress forward. "My daughter Tigress!"

A shocked gasps could be heard from the villagers, but Tigress decided to ignore them. She didn't say a word, but just stared at them all. A little smiled formed on her lips as she realized that now she showed them all how strong she was. Who she really was.

But if she was the Dragon Warrior, then there was something she needed…

As her mother continued telling the news to the valley, Tigress slowly backed away. Now when she had been presented, her mother didn't need her here.

Tigress walked back to the palace, her speed increasing with each step.

* * *

"Where is it?!" Tigress roared as she clawed the bed one more time. Now it was only splinters. The furious tiger growled and looked around in the room. Where was it?

Suddenly she remembered the goose. If he was the panda's father…

Just great! Now she had to go back to the village. She hurried outside and leapt down the stairs. Her mother was finished with speaking and the villagers had gone back to their houses.

Jumping from roof to roof, Tigress let her eyes search. Finally, she found what she needed.

"Dragon Warrior Noodles and Tofu," Tigress read out loud. She could see that the goose was in the kitchen, cutting vegetables while wearing a sad face. Soundlessly, Tigress made her way to a window on the first floor and jumped into the room.

Yep, this room definitely belonged to the panda. Things were spread out on the floor, posters on the wall, and some action-figures… Seriously?

She shook her head to get back her concentration. It has to be here somewhere… This time, keeping her temper in check, Tigress found what she needed in one of the closet. Making sure that everything laid where it had been when she had entered the room, Tigress climbed out of the window.

The goose wouldn't even know that she had been there.

She ran back to the palace, the scroll secured in one of her vest's hidden pockets. First when she reached the Hall of Warriors, she dared to open the scroll.

With shaking paws, while making herself ready, she opened it and… Nothing.

There stood nothing. No words. Not as much as a single letter.

She didn't feel different either. Something was wrong. Had she been tricked? Was this scroll false? What had happened? Was the panda responsible for this?

The panda…

A burning rage started was lit inside of her. Oh, she would make him pay! Dungeon, dungeon… Where was it? It has been her mother that had kicked them down there, not her. But after some time Tigress manage to find the stairs that led down to the chained warriors.

They sure looked surprised when she slammed the door open. "What is this?" she roared and threw down the object just outside the wall of bars.

"Wow! Someone is grumpy in the morning," Mantis joked, not frightened by the tiger at all.

Tigress growled at him but then turned her attention to Po. "You! Panda!"

He stopped yanking his chain and looked at her. "What?"

"What is this?"

Po looked at the object on the cold floor. "The Dragon Scroll."

"I know that!" Tigress hissed. "What I want to know is why it doesn't say anything!"

The panda crossed his arms. "That's because you have to be super smart to figure it out."

Tigress opened her mouth to give back, but Viper started talking before she could. "Where's Master Shifu?"

"Dead, of course," Tigress answered flatly.

The students' faces darkened with sorrow, then with anger. "Murderer!"

The tiger just snorted. "You've already called me that."

"Because it's true."

"Actually," Tigress began, sitting down on the floor calmly, "I've never killed anyone."

"Tiger…"

"Fell down," she finished for them.

Crane looked angrily at her. "We saw the knife."

"Oh, congratulations. But for your information, it was a life-death situation. The tree was falling, he was ready to rip my throat out, and I just did what I could to protect myself. Just held up the knife and in the next moment I had to jump to avoid hitting the ground."

"And that makes you totally innocent?" Monkey said sarcastically.

Tigress found back her growl. "I'm not here to discuss such things with you. I am here to get to know why this is false!" she said while holding up the scroll.

Mantis snorted. "You know, it's actually real."

"Yeah, you must have found it in my room," Po trailed off as he realized something. "Oh no! Dad! If you…!"

"Relax, panda. Your father is fine. He didn't even know I was there." When she saw that the panda was about to open his mouth, she continued, "Mother told him that you all had travelled away along with your master. Your father is unhurt. We're not heartless."

"Seems so," Viper spat.

"Shut up, snake. I didn't ask for your opinion," Tigress hissed back. "Now when the annoying chat is over, then tell me what the point is with this!"

"Only the true Dragon Warrior can figure it out," Po told her. "Because you need to have a brain that…"

"That wasn't an answer, panda. Just tell me what it means."

He shook his head. "No way! Right, guys?" He looked over his shoulder and got his friends support.

Tigress growled. "I guess I have to use harder methods then."

"You can torture us all what you want! We won't say a thing!" Po said proudly. "So you can just forget about the idea about torturing, right? I promise you, it's not gonna work, so don't even think about it…" The panda told her, sounding nervous.

"Fine, I won't torture you," Tigress said. But then her eyes focused on the panda's not so small belly. "But I can make sure that you won't get food the next week."

Po widened his eyes. "Next week?"

"That depends on whether you are going to tell me the secret about the Dragon Scroll or not," Tigress answered calmly while examining her claws.

And suddenly the panda became angry. "You want to know it? Fine! There is no secret! No secret ingredients! The only thing is you! There's just what you see!"

Tigress looked at him, then back at the scroll.

Po continued, "But your ingredient is just rotten! You lie! You kill! You probably steal! Tiger is dead… Master Shifu is dead… We're here… And that's all because of you!" His friends stood behind him, glaring her down.

But she didn't as much as flinch. "Sound like there's some feelings coming up there, oh mighty Dragon Warrior. Maybe, in another world, I would care."

"Maybe, in another world, you would be nice."

"I'm not nice to _you_. And you want to know why? Because you're not nice to me. You're one of them that judge. You don't care. I've spend my life, first in a horrible orphanage, then in a cold mountain cave where my only comfort was my mother! People like you are the reason why I had to go through such things! So don't come and say that I don't deserve the happiness I will get from now on!" she hissed at them and then stood up.

"Here," she said and threw the scroll so it landed right in front of Po. "Keep your worthless piece of paper, Dragon Warrior. Oh wait! You're not the Dragon Warrior anymore. I am!" She turned around and walked towards the door. "Enjoy your stay."

And so she let them alone, so they could cry over their master and friend.

* * *

A/N: A little short, maybe. But I thought it was a good place to end it. Thank you for your support.

I got some news to you. First; I've started to theater again, so the updates may become slower. But I've finished one of my stories, so maybe it'll be alright.

Second; I've made a one-shot to a game called 'To The Moon'. If any of you knows about this game, then feel free to check it out. Warning; it's pretty sad.

And at last; I'm going to rewrite half of Friends Forever. I'm not going to delete the story, but I am just simply replacing the chapters with some new ones. When I am finished there, I will check up all my other stories and fix all the spelling mistakes I can find.

Thank you for reading.


	11. Cracks

A/N: People! People! Everybody people! Sorry; I'm in my singing mood. Anyways; here's the next chapter. I see we have lost some reviewers on the last chapter. Seriously, do I really need to kill Master Shifu in every chapter to get you to review?

As an author I would love to hear every reader's opinion, so please don't be shy. So YOU (yes, I mean you! You clicked on my story, didn't you?!), please tell me what you think!

Love your support. And by the way, sorry for making this fic so dark. I didn't mean it! It just suddenly happened! So I have good news; we are going to have a lot of flashbacks with little Tigress! Yay!

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Cracks **

"Tigress," Fenghuang called as she searched for her daughter. Where was that tiger now? Even though her soundless footsteps were fantastic, it could be really annoying sometimes. Especially when the tiger didn't want to be seen.

Finally the owl found her. Tigress was sitting outside the palace, completely lost in her meditating. "What are you doing at here, dear?"

The tiger didn't answer. She didn't as much as open her eyes.

"I know you can hear me, girl. You used that trick on me when you were twelve. It's still not working."

Sighing, Tigress looked at her. "Is it something important, mother? I really need to clear my thoughts."

"You do? And why that?"

Growling slightly, Tigress looked away from the owl. "The Dragon Scroll is false," she hissed.

"What?"

"It says nothing! I asked the Dra… The panda but the only thing he could say about it was pure rubbish!" Tigress slammed her fist onto the ground. It was now noon, and rainclouds had come to let rain fall over them. The tiger fur was lying flat towards her body, wet and cold.

"Just another thing that can prove that Oogway was an old fool. Don't be too sad about it, dear. You're the Dragon Warrior no matter what." Fenghuang gently held up a wing under the tiger's chin, making her to look into her eyes. "We got what we wanted. You should be happy."

"I am. I am! It's just..." She trailed off, but then managed to find some words. "It's just annoying me."

"You shouldn't be. It's just some stupid scroll."

"It's not the scroll. It's them." After saying the last word, Tigress bit her lip as she realized it was something she shouldn't have said. Now her mother would start asking, and Tigress knew that her mother very easily could be angry. Not at her, but still, it was not a nice thing to watch.

Fenghuang squeezed her purple eyes together in a suspicious glance. "What did they do?"

"Nothing. They're locked in. They can't do anything."

"They can speak. Now, what did they say?"

"Nothing."

"Tigress. What. Did. They. Say?" Her mother leaned down towards her, her strict eyes making clear that she was demanding an answer.

Her daughter felt like her body was shrinking toward the ground. When her mother was like this, she felt so little. But what had happened wasn't that bad. Her mother would just overreact. "They have the right to be angry…"

"They have no right! They are prisoners!"

"It wasn't their fault."

"No, it was Shifu's. But because of him, we can't let them go. I spared their lives, and they should be happy. But that does not give them any right to believe that they are better than you," Fenghuang told her, her stern glance not leaving the tiger's face.

Tigress let her shoulders fall. "I know what they said isn't true. They're just angry."

"And they take that anger out on you. That isn't fair."

"Well, I wasn't exactly nice to them," Tigress admitted. She sure had been angry at them too.

"But you have a reason to. They have wronged you, and they refuse to see the truth. Unfortunately, I believe it's too late show them it. They just won't believe. Now, promise me, that you'll forget what you said."

"Promise."

"Very good." Fenghuang petted her daughter's head. "You're amazing, Tigress. Don't forget that."

Tigress nodded slowly. She sure felt better now, after her mother had comforted her.

"Come inside with me. If you stay out here, you'll just end up sick."

The tiger wrinkled her nose. "I'm pretty sure that some rain can't hurt me."

"You are?" Fenghuang said, crossing her wings. "Well, I'm completely sure that I don't want me kid sick. So come inside, before I have to drag you by the arm."

Glaring at her mother, Tigress understood that it was best to go back to the palace with her. Fenghuang was never kidding with such things. "Alright."

"And I'll have a personal talk with those ignorant fools."

"No you won't," Tigress said while rolling her eyes.

"And why that?"

"Because your version of a 'personal talk' includes knives and other torture instruments."

"And what if it does?"

Tigress grinned and stood up. "You are right when you say that they need to be taught some manners. But _I'll_ be the one to teach them."

Her mother smiled back and said jokingly, "Don't be too harsh on them."

"Says you!" Tigress snorted and followed her mother back inside the Jade Palace.

* * *

She wasn't sure what to say to them. She was angry at them, but still she felt sorry for them. It wasn't their fault that Shifu had brainwashed them.

But still; should she comfort them or claw their faces? Why was the world filled with such hard questions?

Clawing their faces could be fun… But still, she wasn't evil. If they deserved it, she would harm them. If they acted well then there would be no problems. So they better had to act well.

As Tigress laid there on her bed, she thought about the students that were chained under her. Had they been given food? No, no yet. Her mother didn't allow anyone else then her and Tigress to go near the prisoners.

They had to be hungry by now. Well, Tigress was completely sure that the panda was. No doubt about that.

But should she give them the food? If not, they would die, but still. They had just called her a murderer! She should be mad at them!

Starving them to dead… It was just pure evil! They had to feed them.

Groaning, she stood up. Making her way to the kitchen, Tigress walked through the halls. Just as she was about pick up some bread, her mother put a wing on her shoulder.

Dropping the things in surprise, Tigress turned around.

"What are you doing, dear?"

"Just making sure they get something to eat," Tigress answered honestly.

Fenghuang raised an eyebrow. "Have you gotten something to eat?"

"I'll do it afterwards. I'm not so hungry right now."

Sighing, the owl let her pick up the food. "Remember to show them their place. I am not in mood for prisoners being troublesome."

"I will. Don't worry."

But as she walked past her mother, Fenghuang grabbed her arm. "Tigress."

"I said don't worry," the tiger answered with gritted teeth.

"I am just taking care of you."

"They're chained. What can they do?"

Fenghuang sent her a sharp glance. "A lot."

"I'll take care. You need to relax, Mom."

"I am relaxed," the owl huffed. "I am just being careful."

"I'm sure some food can't be a weapon. They won't and can't do me anything. I'll be back soon."

Finally her mother let her go, and Tigress walked down to the dungeon while carrying a tray with bread and cups with water. She was doing the right thing. She was sure of that.

The warriors were already standing when she got down there. And they didn't look happy.

"Well, look who is here."

"Shut up, bug," Tigress hissed back. "You should be happy that I am wasting my time with you. Dinner's ready."

Leaving the tray on the ground, Tigress' paw found its way inside her vest where it found what she searched for. A little metal key. Her mother had given it too her, after she had locked the students in. Fenghuang had one too, in case she would be the one to give the prisoners a visit.

Tigress opened the door made of bars and quickly shoved the tray close enough for the students to reach it. "Hope you'll like it," she said sarcastically.

She was about to leave when a voice called, "Why are you doing this?"

It was the snake. The long, irritating snake that kept sending her glances to try and make her guilty. "Do you want to starve?" Tigress asked her, but received no answer. "I thought so. Here I am, taking care of you, and I don't even get a 'thank you'."

The five prisoners just stared at her. "You expect us to thank you?" Mantis asked her, dumbfounded.

"It couldn't hurt."

"You are seriously crazy!"

"And you have a big mouth," Tigress gave back. "Especially for such a little creature."

And Mantis snapped. "You are calling me little?"

"Yes. Have a problem with that, bug?"

The other students winched. They knew what was coming up.

And suddenly, the cage Mantis was in, started to jump up and down. "Who! Are! You! Calling! Little! I! Am! Going! To! Smack. Your! Face! With! My! Normal! Sized! Arms!"

Tigress watched him while smiling in amusement. "Are those called arms? I actually don't know. They look more like toothpicks."

"Your! Arms! Looks! Like! Tree! Trunks!"

"That's because I train, you idiot. It's called muscles."

"I! Am! Going! To!"

She cut him off. "Tell me, bug, didn't you get enough the last time? Or should I have hit you harder?"

Mantis looked like he was going to burn up in anger, but he had stopped yelling and jumping. Instead he just glared at her, as if his eyes could kill her.

"Good boy," Tigress said and laid her eyes on the rest of the team. "Does anybody else have something to say? No? Good."

She was about to leave, when somebody called out, "Wait! I have a question!"

In a second, Tigress had turned around. "What do you want, panda?"

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, staring at her in an annoying way.

Tigress just glared at him as he continued, "I mean you can kinda understand Fenghuang with the revenge and all that crazy stuff. But you… What did Shifu do to you?"

They all stared at her, and Tigress felt her temper rising. Fine! If they wanted to know… Then she'll let them know the truth.

"Your beloved master betrayed me!" She hissed every word, making sure that they were filled with poison. "He turned his back to me as everybody else! He told me he was different, but all that time he was just lying! He never cared!"

"What are you talking about?" Crane asked her, just as confused as all the others.

"Your master told everyone he was helping me! The orphanage… Everyone! That he would train me to handle my strength! He never did! He just tried to take it away from me! The only defense I had and he was taking it away! And when he said he was finished… He just let them lock me up again!"

"That's not true!" the snake hissed at her.

Growling, Tigress turned to her. "Were you there when it happened? No, I don't think so. You were home with mommy and daddy! While I was just trying to make sure that I wouldn't live the rest of my life in a room that just as well could be a prison cell!"

"Master Shifu said…!"

"Don't you get it, you fool? Your Master Shifu was lying! Don't believe me? Then think about it again; did he ever mention me?"

The students looked at each other, horrified by the thought that she maybe was right.

"He didn't! We all know that! And why should I be a secret if not he was trying to hide something?!" Tigress paused before continuing in a calmer tone, "When your master said that I had completed my training, I believed him. I thought everything was going to get better. But it was all the same. No parents wanted me, and the children who had learned that I wasn't dangerous would be adopted in no time. Then the caretaker would have to lock me in again, because no one wanted to believe that somebody could love me. The only adult that would have taking me out of there was Shifu. So I hoped, yes, I was stupid enough to hope that he would come back and take me with him."

Tigress closed her eyes, her paws forming into fists. "He never returned. So there's the truth about the great Master Shifu. When a child's only rescue was him, he just turned his back to it and walked away. If my mother hadn't showed up when she did, I would have rotten up in my room. All while Shifu decided to forget about me."

The tiger turned her head towards the ceiling. "So sorry, Shifu, if I brought up some bad memories when I came back. I'm sure you truly worked on forgetting me. But you see; sometimes it just isn't easy to get rid of things. I waited twenty years to give you what you deserved. I sure hope you feel guilty right now. Too bad you can't say anything. But unlike you; I got rid of the things that shouldn't be there."

She was panting heavily when she finally stopped. Dropping down on all fours, Tigress glared at the prisoners in front of her. They looked completely stunned. Maybe the truth had been too harsh for them? Too bad for them!

Finally, the panda opened his mouth but then quickly closed it again. "Nothing to day, huh? Well, I expected that. I guess it's true about what they say about the truth. It can hurt," Tigress hissed.

"Master…"

"You're still defending him? I must say that you surprise me with your loyalty. Too bad it can't help you now."

"Okay, maybe Master made a mistake," Crane started.

"But that does not give you the right to do any of this," Viper finished.

"So I should just have stayed in the mountain while letting Shifu spread his lies?" Tigress said sarcastically. "He took everything away from me and my mother. People have always judged us the wrong way, and that's all Shifu's fault. But now we have finally stepped out of the shadows to show everyone who we really are!"

Mantis looked out from his cage. "So people thought of you as a monster and you are proving them wrong by showing your real self who is a monster? Sorry, but I don't get you there."

"I'm no monster," Tigress hissed.

"Of course not. You're just lying, stealing, killing… Do I need to continue?" Monkey asked darkly.

Tigress opened her mouth to defend herself, but in that moment they were disturbed by a voice coming from above them. "Tigress!"

"Coming!" the tiger yelled back. She then glanced darkly at the prisoners. "We'll continue this discussion later where I will decide whether or not I'll let my claws speak. Enjoy you food."

Tigress gave them a last stare, before disappearing out of the door.

"Don't we just enjoy her visits?" Monkey mumbled as he started handing his friends bread. "Here you go, buddy," he said while squeezing a piece of bread through the bars of Mantis' cage.

But just as Po was about to eat his bread, he suddenly stopped moving.

"What's wrong, Po? Don't like bread?"

The panda slowly lowered his arm. "Guys," he said while smiling brightly. "I just got an idea of how to get out of here. And you are not going to like it."

* * *

A/N: Here it is, people! Hope you enjoyed it. I can reveal that I am playing with some ideas about a new Kung Fu Panda story of mine. One thing is for sure; it's going to be about Tigress as always. We'll see if there actually comes a story out of it.

Thank you for the support guys and girls! Another thing I can reveal; we are going to get a lot of flashbacks with little Tigress! I just wished I could have written more about her growing up with Fenghuang, but because I was afraid of losing reader, I decided to jump right into the action. But now you'll get it! Yay!

So what do you think Po's plan is? And will it work? Find out in the next chapter.


	12. Time To Play

A/N: Hi people. Sorry for the wait but I am have been busy planning my next story. It'll soon be out! More information in my A/N at the bottom.

The flashback you see is mainly just for the cuteness. Love little Tigress and mother Fenghuang. The other flashback we are going to see in other chapters, may have some bigger importance.

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Time To Play **

The Furious Five, that now only was four, stared at Po with widened eyes. He couldn't be serious, could he?

"Come on, guys," the panda encouraged. "It's simple!"

"And it's simple how?" Mantis asked with a look of disbelieve on his face.

Po threw up his hands. "We need the key and Tigress has it! So we just need to take it from her!"

"Yeah, that part makes sense. But it's your plan of how doing it that doesn't."

"Come on!"

"Monkey is right, Po," Viper told him. "It won't work."

"If you just gave it a chance…"

"Po." Crane made the panda look at him, and the bird shook his head.

The panda's smile faded. "But…"

"Tigress isn't just some nice, sweet kitten you can play with, Po!" Mantis told him sternly.

"Hey, I know that! She bit me!"

The bug continued, "Exactly. And she did also kill Master Shifu and Tiger."

"Hey, Fenghuang was the one that…"

"Does it matter?" Monkey asked, his eyes just as dark as they had been since his master and friend died.

"No, not really."

Viper cut in, "The point is that we can't trust her, Po. I really believed that you had figured that out by now."

"I am not telling you to trust her! I am telling you to trick her!"

"No offense, but I think that Tigress is a bit smarter than you…"

"Listen!" Po yelled, making them all quiet. "Tigress had the key. Without the key we are going to be stuck here forever. So we need to take it from her."

"You have actually already said that," Crane told him.

"I know! Give me a chance here! To get the key, we need to get Tigress close the bars, so I can grab her and you can help me take the key from her!"

"Then why don't just make her so angry that she'll come close enough to do that?" Mantis suggested. "I volunteer to make her angry!"

Po leaned towards him. "If she's angry, then she's going to have her claws out and I would like to avoid them."

"Don't you think she'll attack you anyway when you grab her?" Viper asked her friend.

"But if she's angry from the start, then she'll keep a better eye on us. We need to do it sudden, unexpected!"

"So you suggest that we'll make friends with her?" Crane said, still not believing the panda's plan.

"Yes!" Po sighed when he saw his friends' faces. "Do any of you have a plan?"

They all had to shake their heads.

"Then mine is the best," Po declared. "So… Who's with me?"

The Furious Five looked at each other. "Well, I am not using my charm on her," Mantis said.

"No, because that's my job," Po told him. "Believe me, guys; this is going to work perfectly!"

* * *

"I spy something gray."

"The wall."

Mantis' face darkened. "Yes. Your turn."

"I spy something hard."

"The wall," Mantis said in a singing voice.

Monkey groaned and fell to his back. "This game is so boring."

"My turn. _Again!_" Mantis groaned as well. "I see something black and white that can't make good plans!"

Po turned around. "Hey! It isn't my fault that she hasn't showed up yet!"

Viper looked sadly at him. "Po, it has been _two weeks_! I don't think she's coming."

"Nah… She's coming! I know it!"

"Unless you can charm the owl instead, I think your plan is dead. Hey, that rhymes!" Mantis said from his cage.

"No way am I going to try my luck on Fenghuang! I like my life!"

Crane sighed and stood up. "Then we are trapped, I guess."

"Then it's time for a new plan?" Viper said, getting up from the ground as well. "Any ideas?"

There was silence for some time before Mantis and Monkey started again.

"I spy something…"

* * *

She was bored. She was completely bored. Agonizing bored!

Tigress groaned and rolled over. She didn't want to meditate right now! And the first days of being in the Jade Palace, she had trained so much that all the equipment in the training hall had been destroyed.

Her mother had forbidden her to go to the village alone; why, Tigress did not know. The owl had just told her not to be near the villagers again after Tigress had told her about how she had gotten the Dragon Scroll. Her mother had been very stern in her voice, and the tiger didn't dare to doubt her.

She knew that her mother was just taking care of her. Even though, she still didn't know why the village could be dangerous.

Tigress was now that desperate that her thoughts wandered to the prisoners. How were they holding up? She hadn't been there in two weeks now. Not since the last time they offended her.

They were getting in her nerves. There was no way to deny that.

But then again… She was bored. She just needed to have her sharp tongue ready.

Or she could spend the afternoon with her mother… Nah. She had spent the most of her life with her mother. These prisoners were funny to teach. Spending time with them was a new thing to do.

And she needed something new.

She had now explored every part of the palace. And she had to admit it; she was starting to miss the cave that once had been her home. This place just seemed… Strange.

And yet, this was all this she had been fighting for. Maybe she could convince her mother to visit her old home sometimes.

But where was she? Oh, yes. The prisoners. It could be fun. It could be a good plan. At least it was better than meditating.

Getting up from her bed, Tigress walked out of her room. Her walk getting quicker and quicker, Tigress quickly found herself on the old stairs that led down to the dungeon. With her sensitive ears, she started to hear their voices.

"I spy something…"

Tigress came into sight.

"Orange with black stripes!"

"Huh?" The monkey was sitting with his back towards her, but now turned around to see the one who had captured them.

The little bug jumped excited in his cage. "No. It's a tiger!"

Tigress rolled her eyes by their stupidity. She stopped her walking on the middle of the cold floor and lay down on her stomach, her hind legs under her body and her head resting on her forepaws. The tiger looked at them with big eyes that were watching their every movement.

Po was the first one to speak. "Uhm… What are you doing?"

She didn't answer.

Monkey leaned closer to Crane and whispered, "I don't like when she is looking at me like that."

Tigress' mouth formed a satisfied grin. This sure was entertaining.

The panda tried to wave his hand in front of his face, even though he was about two meters away. "Hello?"

"Po, don't," Viper quietly said to him.

"Oh look! She's a statue! Can we throw things at her?" Mantis asked, jumping up and down.

Viper sighed and slithered as much as she could towards the tiger. When the chain didn't allow her to go further, she looked the tiger dead in the eyes. "What are you planning?"

"Who says I am planning anything?" Tigress asked, not lifting her head.

"You wouldn't be here if she wasn't."

"You were much sweeter before my mother arrived, do you know that?"

Viper calmly met her glance. "I could say the same about you."

"I'm not here to be sweet."

"Then why are you here?"

"Because I want to," Tigress replied flatly. "Problems with that?"

Viper was about to open her mouth when Po cut her off, "No. None at all."

"Look! The panda has learned how to behave!" Tigress smiled calmly.

There was silence again, where the tiger stared through the bars and the prisoners stared back.

"This is pretty awkward," Crane thought out loud.

"You don't say?" Monkey asked, but then turned to the tiger that still hadn't moved. "What is that you want us to do?"

"Nothing."

Monkey raised an eyebrow. "You're not normal, are you?"

"Who said that I was?"

"You are so annoying!"

"Maybe."

"Can't you just be, I don't know, nice?"

The tiger blinked and calmly said, "I don't need to be _nice_. Why should I?"

Viper spoke before Monkey could. "You don't have a lot of friends, do you?"

"No. Why should I?"

The prisoners shared glances. "That explains a lot," Mantis said.

"I got my mother and my uncle. That's all I need."

"You got an uncle?! And who is that? Tai Lung? Shen? Even though they're both dead… Or is it some new villain we haven't heard of yet."

"Shut up, Monkey!" she hissed back.

"Don't use my name. I don't like when you do that!"

"Monkey!" Po sternly said to make is friend quiet. They had to follow the plan.

Tigress narrowed her eyes. "Why are you so nice to me, panda?"

"Me? Wha…?" Po snorted, but still sounded nervous. "I'm not being nice! I don't know what you are talking about!"

"You know what I am talking about!"

"Well… I…" The panda sighed. "It's just not your fault!"

Everybody looked at him, obviously confused.

"That's a new one," Tigress told him. "Care to explain?"

"You were raised by Fenghuang, who's evil, and she made you evil, which means that you weren't evil in the start! So you were born good but then she came and made you un-good. And that wasn't your fault, because you couldn't know, because you were only a tiny tiger and she became your mother." Po finally sucked in a breath. "So it's all Fenghuang's fault!"

The tiger's eyes flashed dangerously. "Don't blame my mother!"

"Hey, try and think about it! If someone good had adopted you…"

"My mother is…"

Po cut Tigress off by saying, "Let's take Master Shifu as an example."

"Shifu wasn't…"

"You would have ended up completely different! Maybe you would have been a part of the Furious Five!"

Tigress snorted. "Like I would be among such losers."

Po just ignored her. "You would have been a good warrior instead of a bad. And Shifu would have been alive and… We wouldn't have been here!" he said, spreading out his arms.

"Keep dreaming, panda!"

Viper looked at Tigress, then back at the panda. "I actually think you are right, Po."

"What?" the boys exclaimed.

Viper then turned to Tigress. "And I feel sorry for you."

The tiger first widened her eyes, but then found her scowl. "A waste of feelings."

"Maybe."

"You're all fools!" Tigress finally got up and started walking towards the door. "I don't believe any of you!"

But then she heard the snake call out, "Maybe you need to wake up then."

Tigress stopped in the middle of a movement, her brain taking her back to an old memory.

* * *

"_Wake up! Come on, Mom! Wake up!" _

_The little tiger kept shaking her mother, pushing her with her little paws. "Come on!" _

_Finally, the owl opened her eyes. "Tigress, what did we say about waking in the middle of the night…?" _

_Tigress rolled her eyes. "Just look!" She sprung towards the exit of the cave, jumping and down. She was obviously excited. _

_Sighing, Fenghuang got up. Why did the cub keep getting up at night? What was wrong with sleeping? It had only been some weeks since had taking Tigress to her new home, but the tiger should have learned that the owl wasn't that nocturnal. _

"_What can you see, dear?" Fenghuang asked after letting out a big yawn. _

_Suddenly the tiger jumped away from her. The owl followed her outside, shuddering slightly as the night air met her. _

_That was when she noticed that her talons were wet and cold. Fenghuang looked down. _

"_It's snow!" Tigress happily exclaimed as she threw herself into a bunch if the white stuff. _

_Fenghuang just looked at the playing tiger, utterly confused. "Yes, it happens often when you are living on a mountain." She paused for a moment before asking, "Do you like the snow, Tigress?" _

_The cub nodded. "I used to watch the other kids play with it… They didn't want to play with me." _

"_Oh." _

"_Would you like to play?" _

_Why did the cub have such big eyes? Fenghuang had to look away when she said, "I'm not that much for playing with snow." _

_Tigress couldn't hide her disappointment. "Okay." _

_Fenghuang moved her body slightly. "Maybe you should come inside. It's too cold for you to be…" _

"_Just some minutes? Please? I promise I'll come back in then," the tiger begged. _

"_You have to be ready to tomorrow's practice…" _

"_I will. Just two minutes?" _

_The owl sighed. "Fine." What was it with kids and snow? She then watched as Tigress jumped back into the snow. _

_Tigress growled happily. This was so much better than watching the other children play! Maybe living on a mountain wasn't that bad if there came snow. Remembering what she had seen the other kids do, Tigress picked up some snow. With her paws she formed it into a ball. _

_It looked exactly like what she remembered. Now what had they done with it? Lifting it up, Tigress made herself ready to throw it. _

_But when she saw her mother's lifted eyebrow she dropped the snowball immediately. _

_Turning around, Tigress started to shove some snow together. She remembered how the children had made figures…. _

_Suddenly she was covered in snow. Quickly fighting her way out of the cold snow, Tigress found herself wet, cold and shivering. _

_She looked at her mother, who was busy shaking snow of her wing. Tigress glared at her, but the owl just continued looking innocent. _

"_I believe that you have gotten enough of the snow?" Fenghuang asked sweetly. _

_Tigress murmured something that wasn't loud enough for others to hear. When she walked past her mother, she suddenly got an idea of how to get revenge. Leaping at her, she was ready to push her into the snow. _

_But the owl just simply stepped aside, and the little tiger feel head first into the snow. When she got up, her mother was holding in a laugh. The tiger scowled when she asked, "I thought you said you didn't like playing with snow." _

"_Yes, but I changed my mind. Now get inside before you catch a cold." _

_Tigress quickly did when she was told. While warming herself with a blanket she asked her mother, "Can we play again tomorrow? So I can get my revenge?" _

"_We can play, but forget everything about revenge. I am and will always be the winner of a snowball fight." _

"_You're just bragging." _

"_Maybe." The owl smiled. "You better get back to sleep. We have a long training day ahead for us tomorrow." _

_The tiger let out a disappointed sound. _

_Fenghuang gently stroke the cub's head. "Don't sound like that. I have to teach you how to throw a snowball, don't I?" _

* * *

Tigress blinked as her mind came back to the prison cell. The prisoners were still there, of course, and were looking at her.

Growling to tell them that she still was there, Tigress turned to them. "You better listen. I am not evil. My mother is not evil. If you really need point out someone who could be it, then look at yourselves. And by the way; if you continue acting like this, I might regret taking the decision that I did. And for your own fault, you better hope that I won't change my mind."

"What are you…?" But before Po could finish, Tigress left the dungeon, slamming the door after her.

"If she keeps doing that, she might break the door," Monkey told them, relaxing now that the tiger was gone.

Sighing, Po looked at his friends. "Well done, guys," he said sarcastically. "Really well done."

"What? It's not my fault that I don't like her!"

Both Po and Viper did a face-palm.

* * *

A/N: So here comes the information, people! And there's a lot.

First; my profile have gotten a 'news' section. Please check it out and you'll see what I am doing for the moment. It'll be updated when there are new news *funny sentence*.

An anonymous reviewer asked who Eve is. Eve is the little girl you can see in the left corner in the top of my story. She's my avatar. I have drawn her myself. As some of you may know, I am also making drawings in my free time. I do a lot of cartoon girls, and Eve (the one you can see) is the one I draw most.

My new story will come out tomorrow. So please, please, please check it out when it comes out. I can reveal that it's going to be about the hidden panda village and Tigress. You will be able to read the summary tomorrow. So please, people, give it a good start.

Tigress never had friends… Or did she? Get the whole truth in the next chapter!


	13. Worst Of Friends

A/N: Sorry for the wait, guys! But I had to work on some of my other stories. Hope you understand. But of course I could never dream of abandoning this story.

So you don't believe that Tigress had friends? Well, you'll get the truth in this chapter! I know that these chapters can feel slow, but they'll lead to something good! Believe me, guys! I don't even think we are halfway!

Some of you may wonder why it is that Tigress keeps visiting them, even though she doesn't like them. Tigress has been isolated all her life and has only seen a few people. Now she has five chained under her, and of course her curiosity forces her to try and figure out who they are.

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Worst Of Friends **

"What is he doing?"

"Hush! I think he is meditating."

"Just poke him and be over with it!"

"Monkey!"

"What?"

Viper sighed and rubbed her forehead with her tail. How was it again that they had ended up in this situation? Oh, yes. Because of Tigress…

She then turned her look on her panda friend that was sitting with crossed legs. Everybody was looking at him, trying to figure out what he was doing.

"Po?"

"Shh! I am being awesome over here!"

Again, she had to sigh. "Po, what are you doing?"

"I am concentrating."

"I can see that."

Monkey leaned closer to Mantis and whispered, "It looks like he is going to pee!"

"Po…"

"She is coming. I just know it!"

"Why is that you keep wishing she will come? She's not only evil; she's annoying!" Mantis exclaimed, before sinking towards the ground. "I hate being in a cage…"

"And that's why I am trying to get you out of there!" Po explained once again. "And I can do that…"

"By making Tigress like you," his friends said in unison. They had all heard the plan so many times now.

The giant panda scowled. "And it's going to work."

"Sure."

"I am serious."

"Of course you are."

"Seriously, I can do it!"

"What can you do?" They all fell silence as Tigress asked the question. No one had heard her enter the dungeon. "I ask you a question, panda."

Po suddenly looked nervous. "I…. Uhm… I can make you laugh!"

The tiger looked at him with a blank face. "I don't laugh."

"Not yet!"

"Seriously, panda; just forget about it."

"No, I won't!"

"Then I'll have to make you do it!"

"Okay, you win."

Tigress smiled amused. "Good."

Monkey sighed from his corner of the cell. "So why are you here this time?"

"Do I have to tell you?"

"Yes…"

"No. And I won't. Why I am here is my own business."

The monkey rolled with his eyes. "Okay. As long as you are happy…"

Tigress sat down in front of them, the bars between them. "You were Shifu's students," she began.

"Duh! Yes."

"How did he find you?"

Viper slithered closer. "Why would you like to know our stories?"

"Because I want to know who you are," she said flatly.

"And what about you?"

"Me?"

"Maybe we want to know who you are."

Tigress tilted her head. "Didn't I tell you about my past at the dinner?"

"Yes, but right now I am not sure of what is a lie and what it the truth," Viper said slowly.

"And what if I do not want to share my past with you?"

"Then how can you expect we will tell you about our pasts?" the snake asked her.

Tigress snorted at the question. "Because I am not in chains. That's why."

"We could make it a game!" Po suggested. "You know, you ask one question, we'll answer and then ask you about something that you will have to answer."

"I don't do games, panda."

"Come on! It isn't that hard! You are bored, right?" Tigress nodded ever so slightly. "Then why say no?" the panda kept begging her.

Finally the tiger gave up. The panda was right. She was bored. She still wasn't allowed to go to the village, and her mother was busy. With what, Tigress didn't know, but she didn't dare to disturb her. And with no lust to train, she had made her way to the dungeon once again.

"Fine," she said with a hard voice. "But I will start."

"Hey, I am not going to answer anything!" Mantis yelled from his little cage.

"Then it's a good thing that I have no interest in you, bug," Tigress sneered. She then finally laid her eyes on Po. "You."

"Me?"

"You are… Was the Dragon Warrior. But you were never supposed to be it. Why did they allow it?"

The panda shrugged. "You know, it was like… Uhm, Master Oogway said that I was chosen by the universe. And everybody had to kinda follow the universe, so…"

"You don't look like a warrior," she commented.

"I know… You are not the first."

"But he is one," Viper told him, causing Po to smile.

Crane nodded. "He defeated Tai Lung."

"And Shen," Monkey added.

"And he is going to defeat you and your mommy too!" Mantis said.

Tigress rolled with her eyes at the comment. "Charming."

"It's true!"

"Then why are you still in chains? Back to my first question; I don't believe that Shifu would let you stay and be happy with it."

Po looked offended. "Why…?"

"Because Shifu wanted perfection," Tigress told him, cutting him off. "And you, panda, are not _perfection_."

The panda looked uncomfortable, and the others' had saddened faces as they thought of their lost master. "Well, he wasn't that happy at the start, but after Tai Lung he got his inner peace, and then we went along, you know. Became friends."

"Of course," Tigress said sarcastically. "Don't you get it? He changed his mind because he saw something in you. Suddenly, you were the Dragon Warrior, and that was something he could be proud of. Another warrior he could show of."

She stood up and leaned against the wall. "I actually wanted to meet Tai Lung. It was one of my dreams. I kept begging mom if she wouldn't help him get out of that prison, but she wouldn't risk it. We could have made a fantastic team," Tigress said with a distant voice. "But I never understood Shen. He was a bit crazy after my opinion."

"I agree," Monkey said.

"It's our turn now!" Po exclaimed, rubbing his paws against each other in excitement. "Which question…?"

"I don't have all day," Tigress reminded him with crossed arms.

"Fine! You lived on a mountain, right?" She nodded, and he continued, "With your mother?" Another nod. "So what have you been doing all life?"

"Trained to kill you."

All warriors widened their eyes at the answer. "Okay… Nothing else?"

"When I was younger I played with my mother. Sometimes my uncle, when he was there."

"Who is your uncle by the way?"

She sat back down again. "His name is Yun-qi. He's a lynx. He travels a lot."

"And he is in family with you how…?"

"He's an old friend of mother. Helped her with getting food and so on when she needed it. Living on a mountain isn't easy. Especially when you can't go to the village. If we did that, they would lock my mother in… We couldn't risk that. So we lived of what we could find."

"Wow…" Po said slowly. "That must not have been nice."

"You get used to it. It became _my_ mountain. Even as a young cub I learned how to climb it. My turn again." This time she laid her eyes on Viper. "You."

The snake sighed. "What do you want to know?"

"How a girl with pretty flowers can be a warrior."

"Maybe I am pretty, but I still know how to fight. That's how I ended here. I learned how to dance with ribbons. But myself and my parents found out that my dancing also was effective against enemies," Viper said with a smile as she remembered back. "So when my skills were discovered, they took contact to Master Shifu and he agreed to let me become his student."

Tigress raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Ribbon dancing? Really?"

"Really."

"Okay… Interesting story…"

"My turn again!" Po said loudly. "What should I…?"

"Actually," Viper cut in, "it's my turn." She then turned towards Tigress. "Did you ever see everybody else then your uncle and mother?"

Tigress looked at her with hard eyes. "That's a weird question."

"But it's my question. And you have to answer."

"When I was older I was allowed to go to the village with my uncle."

"We know," Monkey snorted. "We met you. You stole Tiger's wallet."

Crane took a step forward. "And then we gave you the money."

"Yeah, that was actually pretty fun. An ironic, of course. My mother and uncle truly praised me for that."

Po leaned towards Viper. "Why did you give her money?" he whispered.

"She looked like a homeless cub! And she said that her mother was sick. You couldn't help but feel that you were responsible for her," Viper whispered back.

"You know, giving her money is so much worse than inviting her to the Jade Palace," Po whispered.

"No, it isn't. You still made the biggest mistake."

"Worth a try."

"Are you even listening?" Tigress asked them loudly. "Or should I just leave?"

"Stay!"

"Leave!"

Viper sent Monkey a sharp glance as she heard his answer. He just shrugged. "What? You know I don't like her."

"Have I answered your question snake? I actually have thing to do, you know."

Viper looked her into the eyes. "You have never had a friend, have you?"

Tigress squeezed her eyes together. "I don't need friends."

"I'll take that as a no," Viper told her, but then looked at the ground. "That explains a lot," she said quietly, almost to herself.

"Are we done talking about my life?" Tigress asked, yawning.

"I don't believe you," Viper suddenly said, looking up again.

Tigress widened her eyes slightly. "Excuse me?"

"Your eye twitched when you said you didn't need friends. I believe you lied."

Tigress' hand went up to touch her eyes as soon as Viper mentioned it. She didn't do such thing, did she? No, please no! Was that the way her mother always could figure out when she didn't speak the truth?

"I…" Was this one of the most humiliating moments in her life? Yes. Absolutely. "I have nothing to say."

"What happened?" Viper asked her calmly.

"You are not my psychologist. I have no need to talk with you. You have already used your question."

"But…"

"If you answer this, we'll answer all of your questions," Po suddenly said. "And we won't ask more."

"Yeah, like that would happen."

But Po continued begging. "Come on! Please? Just one question…"

Tigress thought about it. It was actually a good deal. Just tell that stupid, old story and she was free for their annoying questions. "Alright. But you better keep your deal."

The other came closer, actually excited to hear what she had to say.

"It was about a half year after my mother adopted me. I was about seven, I think. I was on my own while climbing when I met two vultures. They were about twice as old as I was, and they were named Gao or Hao or something…"

"What a great memory," Mantis snorted.

Tigress decided to ignore him. "They liked to talk with me, and they invited me to meet them again the next day. I had never had a friend before and was so happy, but I didn't tell my mother about them. The vultures had told me not to say anything about it to her; they wanted to surprise her when they came and visited me. They had promised they would do that at one time. So I found them again the next day."

* * *

"_Well, look who is here! It's the tiger-owl!" _

_Tigress smiled as she came closer. So they were still happy to see her. _

"_We didn't think that you would come!" _

"_Why?" she asked them. Why should she miss this? _

"_Because the mountain is dangerous for such a little tiger! We didn't think that Fenghuang would let you go out on your own again!" _

_Tigress smiled brightly. "She says I can handle me on my own now!" _

"_Lucky you," one of the birds said. _

"_I can go anywhere. Just not the village." _

"_Yeah, your mother can't go there, right? She would get caught?" the boy asked, his brother sitting beside him on the branch. _

_Tigress nodded. "And send to prison." _

"_But us two can fly everywhere!" the vulture said, pushing to his brother that nodded in agreement. _

"_Me and my mother can only stay at the mountain. Just because we are too strong!" Tigress said while scowling. "Nobody likes us." _

"_Your mother didn't exactly make friends by doing what she did," the brown bird said. "But she sure shocked the country! Even we heard of her!" _

"_Stupid, evil Oogway," Tigress said. _

"_Wait! What did you call him?" Both birds leaned closer to her. _

"_Stupid?" _

"_No, not that." _

"_Evil?" _

_The brothers looked at each other. "You know, girl, I believe there's something you have gotten wrong." _

"_What?" _

"_Your mother is a villain!" _

"_What? No! Shifu is!" _

_As the vultures started to laugh, Tigress started to get angry. "What? It was them that judged us!" _

"_With good reason, girl!" _

"_I don't understand…" _

_The birds landed in front of her. "Your mommy is very bad. Understand it now?" _

"_Don't call my mom that!" _

"_She didn't tell you?" _

_Tigress growled at them. "She did what was right! They just didn't like her! They were afraid!" _

"_She shocked whole China. And she didn't even tell you! Man, this is hilarious!" _

_The tiger looked at them confused. But then she understood! Those were brainwashed as everybody else! Just because that they lived on the same mountain as her, didn't mean that they understood. _

_She turned around while saying, "You guys are stupid! I go home now!" _

"_Wait a minute! Didn't you want to play with us? Wasn't that why you came here?" one of the birds asked. _

"_You're liars! I don't want to play with you!" _

_Suddenly, the vultures were in front of her. __"Oh… __But we want to play with you!" _

_She hissed dangerously, and tried to hit them with her claws, but they were too fast. They grabbed her shoulders hard, and started to fly. _

"_Stop it!" she yelled at them. _

"_You are a very bad girl! Calling people for liars, that isn't nice! We have to teach you some manners!" _

"_Let go of me!" But when she looked down, she regretted her words. They were far away from the safe ground, and below her was only mist. "Put me back down!" _

"_Your mommy is very bad! We're only doing what's right!" _

_Tigress pulled herself together and let out a roar. It was the loudest one she had ever made, but still they didn't let go of her. _

_But then something slammed into the two birds, and in the next second Tigress found herself falling. But she didn't even have the time to scream, before someone caught her. _

"_Mom!" she yelled happily. _

_Fenghuang sent her a calming smile, but then fly even faster. And suddenly, they were back at the cave. Fenghuang let go of her, and Tigress landed on the safe ground. _

"_Stay here," the owl told her, before flying away to find the two vultures. _

_Tigress waited patiently for her to return. How could she have been so stupid? She should never have trusted them! They had just been laying plans about how to take her away from her mother. This was bad. Very bad. But she knew that her mother could fix it. _

_Fenghuang came back about an hour later. Tigress thought first she was going to scold her, but the owl only asked, "What did we learn today?" _

"_Not to talk with strangers?" Tigress said quietly. _

"_Exactly. Think about what could have happened, and promise never to do it again." _

"_I promise." Tigress then hugged her mother that petted her on the head. _

"_Good. Now go to bed." _

"_Okay." She did what she was told the rest of the day. She hid from strangers if she ever met one on the mountain. _

_And she never saw the vultures again. _

* * *

Tigress finished her story, leaving the warriors stunned. "That was a sad story," Po said quietly.

"No, it was a story you can learn something from. And now I can ask all the questions I want…"

"TIGRESS!"

The tiger flinched as she heard her mother's voice from above.

"And I'll ask them later."

"Mommy's girl!" Mantis snorted.

Tigress ignored him and walked out of the dungeon.

When she was gone, Monkey said, "Po?"

"What?"

"You forgot to try and take the key."

The panda then slammed his face against the wall.

* * *

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it.

**Important news! **You know what, my dear readers? This chapter, this chapter that you are reading right now…. IT'S MY 100'TH CHAPTER! I've counted all my chapters (including one-shots) and this is the hundredth! Isn't that amazing? Shouldn't we celebrate it?


	14. Mother Is Always Right

A/N: And I am back! Did you miss me? I missed you! Yes, I did! 'Coz I love all of you! Even that reader who is standing in the shadows, too scared to review! I love you too, scared reader!

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Mother Is Always Right **

"Yes, mother?" Tigress said politely as she stood in front of the owl.

"I was starting to get worried if something had happened. You were down there in way too long time. I do not like that you are…"

"We have already talked about this; they can't do anything," Tigress answered quickly.

Fenghuang raised an eyebrow. "Don't think that they aren't making plans."

"What can they do? They are chained! And I am not stupid. If they try anything, I'll figure it out."

"They will do anything to revenge their master. And the panda was the Dragon Warrior; a fact that we must not forget," Fenghuang told her with a stern voice.

Tigress nodded. "You are right; he _was _the Dragon Warrior," she hissed. "Now I am it."

Fenghuang scowled. "You are in a bad mood. Why?"

"Because I was doing perfectly fine down there! I don't need you calling my name as if I was some sort of kitten."

"Tigress, I will not..."

"You will not let me do anything! I must not go to the dungeon, I must not go to the village; the only thing I can do is to stay here! And I am tired of it."

The owl softened her glance. "I understand."

"No, you don't. If you did you wouldn't force me to stay here."

"I am not forcing you; I am protecting you!"

"From what?"

"From something you don't want to experience."

Tigress growled softly, feeling that she wasn't going anywhere with this conversation. Then she spotted something lying on the table. "What's that?"

"Letters."

"I can see that. But who's…?"

"Someone that you don't know," Fenghuang answered quickly, picking up the scrolls before Tigress could read them.

The tiger crossed her arms. "Thank you for the trust."

"I am just thinking that we need some guards. And I know the perfect one to work together with."

"And you won't tell me who it is?"

"You'll meet him eventually."

"Why can't I just…?"

Fenghuang held her head with her wing. "Tigress, do us both a favor and go to bed."

Tigress widened her eyes and sneered, "Why?"

"Because you are always grumpy when you are tired. And right now I refuse to listen to you. Just do what I say."

The tiger glared furiously at her, but then left the room without a word.

Fenghuang chuckled slightly as her daughter stormed out. "I know her too well," she murmured, but then returned her focus to the letters.

There were things to take care of. Things that Tigress wouldn't understand.

She was the mother and she had to protect her daughter. And that was why she was doing this.

While continuing writing her message, the owl thought about what to do with the prisoners. A part of her just wanted to kill them; then there was nothing to worry about.

But then there was her promise to Tigress… That cub could be so stubborn!

She then decided to let the prisoners stay where they were. But she was going to have a talk with Tigress.

Staying in the dungeon in too long time wouldn't bring her anything good. Tigress had to realize that.

Her thoughts then wandered to Yun-qi. Where was that lynx?

Maybe he could lighten up the tiger's mood. But if she knew the lynx right, then he was busy travelling around China.

Or sitting in jail.

Or running from people he owed money.

He could be doing a lot of things…

Too bad he couldn't see her now. Now she was finally home! The Dragon Palace was hers! As it always should have been!

And that stupid lynx was missing all of it!

* * *

Tigress snarled loudly. Yes, she hadn't gotten much sleep the last few days, but who could blame her for that? Those nightmares just kept haunting her, and there was nothing she could do about it.

No sleep meant no good mood.

Simple as that.

And her mother definitely wasn't helping. If she just could allow her to walk around, be free just for the on time in her life. First she had been hiding in a mountain and now she was hiding in a palace!

She actually preferred the mountain, now when she thought about it…

It had been bigger. It had felt safer. It had been her home.

This place was just strange. Beautiful and great, but strange.

Maybe her mother would allow her to go back to the mountain; just for a short time. And maybe she would find her uncle there. It wasn't actually a bad idea.

But first sleep. Her eyes were aching, and probably more red than normally. Stupid nightmares. Stupid palace. Stupid prisoners.

Stupid mother.

After lying on her bed in nearly an hour, sleep finally came to her.

And luckily enough for her, there were no nightmares.

Instead her dream was filled with bunny servants, flying letters, dragon statues and featherless vultures.

* * *

It was afternoon when she woke up. Yawning, she stretched out her body, letting her claws be unsheathed. Finally! Getting some sleep had been like heaven!

And she was actually in a better mood.

Not that she would let her mother know that.

So what should she do now? Stay in bed? Meditate? Trying to train in the broken training hall? Visit the prisoners again? Find her mother?

Tigress didn't like any of those ideas. No, she had to come up with something better.

And she did. But her mother would be so angry…

But she had visited the village before when she had taken the Dragon Scroll. Nothing had happened there. Why should anything happen now?

Her mother was just overreacting like she always did.

Tigress remembered how when she had been little her mother had forbidden her to climb the mountains alone when it was winter. It was too dangerous, the owl had explained. She would fall down and die.

Maybe she had been right at that time…

But what could be dangerous in a simple village? It was just some rabbits and pigs. Nothing scary!

And that was when she decided to do it.

Getting up from her bed, Tigress sneaked out of the palace. On her way she saw her mother meditating in the Hall of Warriors, which couldn't be better. The owl wouldn't even notice that she had been gone, and when Tigress came back she would tell her mother how perfectly fine it had been!

Plan made, time to start!

And so she ran down the stairs, her trained body enjoying the exercise. Soon, she was at the bottom, looking at the village that belonged to her.

It didn't look happy.

Windows were hidden with curtains, the streets seemed abandoned, and the few people that were out were keeping their eyes on the ground.

A lot had changed since the last time she had been there.

Letting her curiosity taking over, Tigress started walking through the village. When the people saw her, they gasped in shock, quickly bowed, and then backed away from her.

Tigress narrowed her eyes and ignored them while keeping walking straight forward. Soon she reached her goal; the Noodle Shop.

She didn't know why she wanted to go there, but something back in her mind just told her to do it. And so she did.

There was very quiet; no customers to be seen.

The tiger walked closer, listening carefully after any signs of noise. And suddenly a knife was flying towards her face!

With years of training, Tigress gracefully caught it before it could touch her. She looked at the blade she was holding with her paw. "Huh?"

And then came the next.

Tigress quickly stepped aside, and three more knives dug into the wall beside her. What was going on? Who was trying to kill her?

The questions were answered as the goose she recognized to be the panda's father, came running at her with a spoon in his hand.

Mr. Ping let out a furious honk and swung at his 'weapon' at the tiger. She simply blocked it and then grabbed it before he could try and hit her again.

"What have you done to my son?"

The tiger widened her eyes slightly, both confused and a little impressed over the attack. How could the goose be so stupid?

"Keep your beak out of other people's business," she snarled at him.

"He's my son," he told her.

"I don't care! I don't know where he is!" Tigress said, her temper rising.

"But…"

"I don't care," she yelled again. Why couldn't that stupid bird just understand?

That was when she heard the gasps. Turning around she saw villagers. Just a few of them. They had heard noise coming from the shop, and led by their curiosity they had come closer to it.

And now they were staring at her.

Tigress' mouth dropped slightly and she forgot everything about the attacking goose. And Mr. Ping noticed the tiger's changed expression and slowly stopped trying to hit her with his wing.

They were staring at her.

She had seen that look before…

* * *

"_Don't!" It was something between a sob and a scream. Tigress looked at the lamb that was backing away from her_, _small tears dripping down his face. _

_But it was his fault. _

_It had been her doll, her toy. She had found it herself. _

_She had taken care of it. She had hidden it so she could play with it again the next time she could find a way out from her room. _

_But it had been gone. He had taken it. _

_And so she had to get it back. _

"_Give me it," she yelled. It was just so unfair. She never really had the chance to play, and now someone was taking the opportunity away from her. _

_The lamb had trapped itself in a corner, murmuring that he hadn't seen her toy. _

"_But I want it," Tigress exclaimed, nearly desperate. Now she was finally out and then this happened. "Please give it back." _

_And that was when she saw his face. _

_But before she could utter a word, one of the caretakers had stepped in front of him, shielding him from her. "Back to the room," she ordered, and Tigress slowly stepped back. _

_Her golden eyes were focusing on what the caretaker was holding. A net. _

_Tigress shook her head. Not again… She continued backing away until she found her way back to her room. She closed the door behind her, even though the hinges were broken. _

_Few moments after she heard how somebody was working behind the door; putting heavy stuff in front of it. _

_The tiger cub sighed and placed herself in a corner, wrapping her tail around her body. She never even found her doll. _

_And then there was the lamb's expression. _

* * *

Fear.

She had seen it on the faces of the children in the orphanage. She had seen it on the faces of the travelers she had scared. But in the mountains it had been different. She hadn't been Tigress; she had been a ghost.

But now people where afraid of her. _Her. _Tigress the monster.

It was just like back in the orphanage.

Tigress took a step back, staring back at the villagers. Then she ran past them, accidently shoving some of them onto the ground while doing it.

And so the tiger ran back to the palace, heart pounding against her chest.

* * *

Fenghuang opened her eyes as she heard a door being smacked closed. Gods, she was way too old to this.

But the owl stood up and walked towards her daughter's room, sighing. Something was wrong. Again.

And something told her that Tigress hadn't listened to her.

Stupid child. But she still couldn't be mad at her.

Fenghuang carefully opened the door, listening after sounds that could tell what the tiger was doing. But nothing revealed it.

Her first thought was that she wasn't in her room. But then she spotted a striped body in the corner. "Tigress?" she called.

But the tiger continued staring at the wall, scowling.

"We both know that you are going to tell me in the end. Just say it," Fenghuang told her.

Tigress scowled but said, "You promised me that it wouldn't happen again. That it would be different."

"What would?"

The tiger finally turned around. "They looked at me in fear, mom!"

"Who?"

"The villagers," Tigress murmured.

"I told you not to go down there…"

"But I did, okay? And they were scared of me! You said that when Shifu was gone people would see us as we truly are! But they were still scared…"

Fenghuang was troubled. What should she say? "I believe that the lies Shifu spread are hard to get rid of. But it will be better."

"It was just like back at the orphanage," Tigress snarled, but her mother cut her off.

"No, it wasn't," she said sternly. "You have me. And I am not going anywhere."

"But…"

"No but's. I'll take care of the village and you'll stay in the palace. The training hall will soon be fixed."

"Alright," Tigress said, eyes on the floor.

Fenghuang stretched out her back. "And next time I tell you not do something, you'll do what I said."

"Yes."

But the owl still wasn't satisfied. "Don't be so sad. It's just villagers. They don't mean anything."

Tigress silently gave her mother right, and promised herself to forget what had happened.

* * *

A/N: You might think that I am making Tigress a little teenager. But that's because that I am playing with the idea, that when she grew up with Shifu she became an adult way too quick. But now she only lived with her mother and never really got the chance to be alone…

Hope you can get me on that.

Remember to check out my new account 'Animation Lynx Angel'. And please answer our poll. It would be very nice ;)

Thank you for reading.


	15. Surprises

A/N: I am back! Yes, I am! And I have good news to you! 'Shadow Of The Past' and 'The Search For Golden Times' are soon finished! Yes, I will post some new stories then, but… I'll get some more time ;)

People, I understand your wish about Tigress being good again. Maybe I will make her… Or maybe I'll not. The thing is that I have already made the plan for this story. You have to be patient, and you'll find out what is going to happen.

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Surprises **

The next few weeks went fast. Tigress didn't visit the valley again, but stayed at the palace. Fenghuang was nearly always around her, asking questions, comforting her, training with her. The prisoners stayed at where they were, of course, but Tigress had started visiting them again.

She gave them some food and sat down, and then started their game. They told her a story about their life, and she told them one. And Tigress enjoyed it. She had something to do, and it was actually pretty interesting.

The students had some interesting stories. She found out who they were, why they were warriors, why they had been Shifu loyal.

She knew that they found out things about her too. They wanted to know who she was; she could see that in their faces.

The snake was actually pretty annoying. She had stopped hissing at her, but instead she was starting to be nice. And those eyes… She was looking at her as if she was nothing else than a stupid child.

They were out to something. She could sense it. But so far everything was fine.

Tigress didn't tell her mother about her feelings, though. If he did, Fenghuang would just overreact, and then she would never be allowed to go down in the dungeon again. And that was the only but of fun she had.

The students seemed to be over their master's death. They still became very angry when she mentioned it but not on the same way as before. It was nice; it made it easier to talk with them than before.

She wasn't sure if they still had plans of breaking out. They were up to something, yes, but they had been in chains for so long now. Maybe they had given up? She hoped so.

"How is my dad?" the panda asked her.

"Alright, the last time I checked," Tigress said, avoiding saying that the goose had attacked her. "But we don't exactly talk together."

"I can understand that," the monkey said. "The villagers got to hate you."

"They do, actually. But I guess they just need time," Tigress said and shrugged.

Shifu's students looked at each other but said nothing. "So… What is your mother doing?" Mantis asked, changing subject.

Tigress squinted. "Why do you want to know?"

"Hey, I am just being curious over here!"

"Fine, but I actually don't know." She paused before adding, "Mother doesn't tell me everything."

"Isn't that just annoying," Mantis asked. "I mean, she's kinda the only person you know and then she is keeping secrets… Wow, I would have been so mad! Actually, you look kind of mad too. With those claws and teeth and that glance… You look like you are going to rip someone to pieces!"

"I might do, bug," she sneered at him.

Mantis shrugged. "I guess it's me you are mad at!"

"Good guess," she growled. "'Cause you are right."

"But not your mother?"

"Why should I? She has her reasons."

Mantis groaned and fell backwards to lie on his back. Why couldn't this tiger just wake up? If she turned against Fenghuang, then they might all get out of here!

"Hey, what's that?"

The little bug got up to see Crane pointing at the wall. "What?"

"There's something sticking out," the bird told him, glancing at the wall just behind him.

"What is?" Viper asked, slithering as close as she could with her chain.

"I don't know. I can't see it that well," Crane said.

"Let me see!" Po exclaimed as he too came closer. Tigress remained standing, trying to figure out what they were talking about.

The panda tried to touch the wall, when he figured it out. "But there's nothing there…"

His friends widened their eyes, mentally begging him to understand. He caught their glanced, and widened his eyes too, as he realized what he had done. "No, wait! There it is! It sure looks weird!" He laughed nervously.

Tigress leaned forwards, trying to spot what they were talking about. Had something sneaked a weapon into them? Or was it just a piece of rock?

Po noticed what the tiger was doing, and took a step back away from the others. She didn't seem to see what he was doing, so he took another step back. So close…

He was as close as he could be at the bars now. Tigress' eyes were still focused on the place where all the others were standing, and she was sitting just outside the bars.

If he just could take a grip on her and slam her against them. Then she would be unconscious and they could take the key from her. Simple!

Po reached out his arm, concentrating. The others kept talking about the not-existing thing, trying to distract the tiger.

His fingers came through the bars, nearly touching her vest…

Po's foot accidently slipped on his long chain, and the panda feel face-first forward. "Whoah!"

Tigress immediately jumped backwards. "What are you doing?" she sneered angrily.

Po's answer was hard to hear because of the fact that his head was facing the ground. "Falling."

"I can see that."

The panda moaned and roll over to his back. His friends were looking at him with eyes that could kill him. "Stupid chain…"

"If you are done with fooling around, then I have to go," Tigress told them, standing up. "I can't waste all my time here."

Po watched from the floor as she left the cell. "Sorry, guys…"

"It's okay, Po," Viper told him. "At least you tried this time."

"Maybe we should try the next time," Monkey suggested, pulling his chain slightly.

The panda finally sat up. "Seriously, guys! I can do it! I was so close…"

"One last try," Monkey said sternly. "Or we have to do it on another way."

Po widened his eyes. "What do you mean?"

The others hesitated, but finally Monkey took something out from his leg, hidden by his pants. He held it towards Po so he could see.

It was a piece a rock, probably taken from the stone wall. But what worried the panda was that the sides of it had been sharpened, so it almost was like a little knife.

"No…"

"We don't like it either, Po, but we have to get out of here," Viper told him sternly.

"But my plan is working so fine! We don't need weapons!"

"We have to protect the valley," Monkey said. "And so far your plan hasn't helped us out of here."

Crane stepped forward. "Actually, it had only made her talk about herself."

"That's why we can't use the knife," Po exclaimed. "Come on, guys, we all know that it isn't her fault!"

"But that does not make our situation better," Mantis said. "Think about your dad!"

Viper laid her tail on his arm. "We don't like to hurt her either. But if it's the only way…"

"One last try, guys," Po told them. "I can do this!"

* * *

"Mother?" Tigress called as she came back upstairs. She didn't like the fact that she had no idea of where the owl was.

Her first place to check was in the Hall of Warrior. But no, Fenghuang was not meditating there. Was she down in the village?

Maybe, but Tigress wouldn't go down there. She had learned that on the hard way.

But her mother had told her, that the villagers would understand. They just needed some time. Then Shifu's lies would fade.

Hopefully.

But then she walked past the kitchen. It did take some time before she realized what she had just seen, so she actually walked away at first. But then she stepped back and looked into the room.

A domino.

It was standing there lonely on the table.

Who put it there?

Tigress walked closer and understood it was one of those she had played with when she had been younger. Her mother must have kept them…

What was going on?

"Happy birthday!" a voice sounded from behind her. Tigress spun around to see her mother smiling in the doorway. "Twenty years!"

Tigress knew what she was talking about. No one knew her real birthday, but her mother used to celebrate the day she had adopted her. And today it was twenty years ago that she had been taken out from the orphanage.

"And I forgot it," Tigress exclaimed softly.

"I knew you would. You are way too busy." Her mother stroked her cheek and stepped back to look at her. "Oh my, you have grown. You are no longer a little kitty."

"Finally, you realize," Tigress muttered under her breath.

"But you still have to habit to break my things."

"It was an accident," Tigress told her, but the owl only laughed. "It happens when you train…"

Fenghuang smiled. "I know. I just took the chance to tease you a bit. So…" she said while walking closer to the table. "Do you want to play?" In a second, she had laid a pile of dominoes on the wood.

Tigress' face brightened up as she took a seat. She then picked up a domino, only to put it down again, starting the pattern.

* * *

It was late at night when Tigress returned to her room. She wore a happy smile; things were just getting better and better.

Her birthday had been wonderful. Finally, she and her mother spent some time together without fighting. They had played with the dominoes while telling old stories that they suddenly remembered.

Fenghuang had prepared some soup, nothing extraordinary, but great compared to what they had been used to.

Now she was just tired and wanted to sleep.

Her mother had talked about how much things had changed. She had been a little cub, fighting for what was hers. But now they had reached their goals, and she should be proud of herself.

And she was.

Everything just seemed so peaceful now. The prisoners were fine, the village was getting better, her mother was getting some guards…

But then she saw what was lying on her bed. A gift. Some fabric was wrapped around a little ting, and a piece of paper was lying on the top of it.

Tigress picked it up and read.

"_To the little, big princess. _

_I hope your mother make your day enjoyable. If not, remember to tell me when we see each other again. Don't worry, it won't last long. _

_I found this on one of my journeys. You better like it; they didn't sell it cheap. _

_But of course, now you are living on a palace, you may have things more expensive things. _

_I'll see you soon. _

_-Your dear uncle" _

Tigress widened her eyes. Yun-qi was back? But why didn't he show up? Was he in the valley right now?

Maybe the answers were in the gift. Tigress quickly pulled the fabric away.

It was a jewel box. It was little, but covered in silver and rubies.

Now she had something to place her necklace in.

She liked her gift, but where was her uncle?

"Mother!"

* * *

The next morning she was back in the dungeon. The prisoners were there as usual, and they soon started their game again.

"And so he threw a knife at me…"

"Wait a minute! My dad attacking you?" Po asked, eyes full of disbelief.

Tigress nodded. "With a spoon, actually."

"Wow."

"Remember to praise him when you see him again, Po!" Monkey said.

"Did he hit you?" Mantis asked jumping up and down in his cage. It wasn't really that they laughed at the thought of Tigress getting hit; it was the fact that Mr. Ping had done it!

Tigress glared at him. "No. But I must admit that he took me by surprise."

"Did you…?"

"No. Fighting him would be under my dignity," she told them.

Monkey started giggling. "So did the other villagers bet about who would win?"

Slowly the laughter spread. "Ten almond cookies on my dad!" Po exclaimed.

Tigress smiled, until her lips were separated enough to let out a laugh too. It only lasted a few seconds; then they all realized what had happened.

This was not supposed to happen. They were the prisoners, she was their enemy.

She shouldn't be laughing with them!

Everyone was quiet now, staring at her. Tigress escaped by standing up and walking out of the cell as quic as she could.

New problem to solve.

This was bad. Very bad. How could it happen?

Was she…? She didn't dare to say the word out loud.

Friends? With them?

No. Simply no.

Tigress ran so close into her room, that she accidently knocked her new jewel bow of her dresser. It landed heavily on the floor, and she immediately kneeled down to see if she had broken it.

She hadn't. But there was still something wrong. A little piece of paper was sticking out from its bottom, which now was lying loosely. Tigress picked it up and started to read.

"_Five bricks high. Twenty-four bricks left to the students' cell." _

She recognized it as her uncle's handwriting. But what did he mean?

Curiosity taking control of her, she walked back to the dungeon and stopped outside the door that led into the student's room.

The wall was built of bricks. Counting, Tigress found the right stone upwards and then started walking left.

_Twenty-four. _

Tigress found the brick, and pushed it. She heard a loud noise and turned around, just to see a hatch being revealed in the cold floor.

What was this?

Deciding that she just as well should find out, she crawled into the hidden room.

When she saw what was in there, she widened her eyes.

"Hallo, Tigress," Shifu said from the corner he was chained to. "It's nice to see you."

* * *

A/N: No, I did not get soft because of your reviews. Seriously, from the moment I decided to 'kill' Shifu, I have waited for this moment. So now I am just going to lean back and my chair and read your reactions! This is going to be fun!

A lot of things are going on, huh? I am sure you have many questions… They will be answered! In later chapters…

By the way; my other account in here, Animation Lynx Angel, had just published it first story! My boyfriend is writing this one, and I'll appear as a character in it (in later chapters), so there are many reasons to why you should read it ;)


	16. False Truth

A/N: I know! I know! You all hate me! Leaving the world's biggest cliffhanger and then just run off! So typical me! But you all know why! One-shots just filled my mind, and I can reveal that there will come many more of them from me!

I surprised you, didn't I? Shifu's alive?! Muhahahaha! But for how long?

By the way, I am working on a cover to this story.

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, False Truth **

Tigress dropped her jaw, eyes widened. But… What…? How…?

"Shifu…" she whispered. How was he still alive?!

The red panda nodded. "I understand that you are surprised so see me."

"You are supposed to be dead," Tigress told him sternly, leaning against the wall for support.

"I apologize for disappointing you."

"But…."

The room was dark, only one torch to light it up. There were no bars in this room, but instead Shifu was chained to the wall with giant cuffs.

He didn't look great, though. His fur was messy, stained with dry blood. His robe was covered in dust and he looked visible thinner.

"You should not be here!" Tigress said loudly.

Shifu raised an eyebrow. "It's not exactly a choice," he said, looking at his chains.

"You know what I mean," the tiger spoke. She was starting to feel a headache, the pain getting worse and worse. "My mother killed you!" she suddenly exclaimed. "I saw it!"

The master tilted his head. "Did you?"

Why did he have to be so annoying? Tigress groaned; this had to be a dream! Right?

"I saw the blood," she told him sternly, not wanting to believe what he was hinting. "And my mother said that you were dead."

"That is odd," Master Shifu said calmly. "Because it was her who put me down here."

"But…" What could she say? Shifu was clearly still alive; proving that those who said he was dead had been lying. Her mother…. Why? And why had her uncle wanted her to find the defeated master?

"I am curious of how you managed to find me," Shifu told her. "And I would like to hear how."

Tigress just stared at him. Should she tell him the truth? No! This was Shifu! Her enemy! If he wasn't dead yet, then maybe she should just pull himself together and kill him herself.

But could she really do that?

Understanding that her mother had hid him here, then Tigress realized that this was supposed to be a secret. But now she had ruined it…

She wasn't supposed to be here! If her mother found out…

This was very, very bad!

Shaking her head rapidly, Tigress backed away, staring at him with widened eyes.

"Tigress?" he called, but she quickly jumped and made her way out of the hidden cell. "Tigress!"

Shaking over her whole body, Tigress ran towards her room. She had to think about this. Should he tell her mother? And what should she say?

Fenghuang would probably become so mad. Tigress knew that she should not have seen Shifu.

But what could she do now?

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Tigress stared into nothing. It was he feeling she had had when she was little and had accidently broken something. The feeling of waiting to get scolded- or punished.

She had to apologize. She had to tell her mother that she hadn't done in on purpose. It had been an accident. She would forget all about it if she had to.

Setting her mind, Tigress stood up to search for her mother. She had to tell her it. She had to tell her the truth.

But her mother was nowhere to see.

"Mother?!" Tigress called, but got no answer. "Where are you?" she muttered mostly to herself.

Finally she went to the kitchen, but there too was nobody. But instead there was a note on the table.

"_Out to fix some private businesses. I will be home at midnight. Don't wait for me to come home. _

_Remember to feed the prisoners. _

_-Mother" _

Tigress sighed, putting back the note on the table. So her mother was gone… Great! Now she had to live with the guilt until she came back…

'Private businesses? What was that? Private, of course; at least she had figured that much. But what was it? And why didn't her mother want to share it with her?

More secrets?

But why? Didn't her mother trust her?

Going back to her room, Tigress tried to get some sleep to her tired mind. But it just didn't work. The image of Shifu sitting in the cell was liked it had been burned into her brain.

It didn't make sense at all.

When people were dead then they were dead. They weren't chained to a wall somewhere.

Knowing that she would not get peace before she knew more, Tigress decided to see if it was all true again. Maybe it had just been some dream. Maybe she had imagined it all.

But when she found the brick and the secret door opened, Tigress knew that it had not been a dream. In the corner, Shifu was still there; letting out a small smile when he saw her.

"Tigress," he greeted her. "You are back."

She nodded slowly. "I want to know the truth. And mother is not home," she pointed out.

"And you trust me?" the red panda asked her.

"I want to hear what you have to tell me," Tigress answered flatly, leaning against the wall.

Shifu sharpened his glance. "I have a question first."

"I am not the one in chains," Tigress said but he ignored her.

"My students," he started. "How are they?"

Tigress shrugged. "Fine, I guess. They are in another cell."

He let out relieved sigh, clearly worried for his students.

"They believe you are dead, though," Tigress told him. "As I did."

"Then you should tell them-"

She cut him off by shaking her head. "I will not tell them anything. They won't believe me anyways."

"How long has it been since you came?" Shifu asked her. "I lost track of time down here."

"About three weeks," Tigress said trying to remember.

Shifu nodded, lost in his own thoughts.

"How did you get down here?" the tiger then asked me. "My mother said she killed you."

He sighed, and then said, "She was about to. But then she apparently changed her mind. Fenghuang knocked me out, and the next thing I remember is waking up here."

"Someone must have brought you food," Tigress said. It had not been much, obviously, but he was still alive.

He nodded. "Fenghuang came down here once a day. She didn't say a word."

Tigress didn't say anything, but tried to analyze what she just had heard. She her mother had known of Shifu… Of course she had; she had put him down here in the first place.

"And then there was Yun-qi."

At the name of her uncle, Tigress turned around, eyes widened. "What?!" she snarled.

The red panda looked satisfied when he saw her reaction. "You uncle I believe."

"How did you…? Why…? I haven't seen him in months!" Tigress exclaimed.

"He told me that. He has been hiding."

"But why visiting you?!" she spat. "He doesn't even know you! He hates you! Just like we other do!"

Shifu moved as if he was uncomfortable. "Actually, I believe he has saved my life."

"What?!" He wouldn't… Would he?

"He often sneaks in here, brings me some food." Shifu looked at her, eyes deep. "And I believe he is the reason why you are here."

"Yes… When did you last see him?!"

"Yesterday, actually. And he has told me a lot about you, Tigress."

Tigress ignored the last part, only focusing about her uncle. "Where is he?!"

"I don't know," Shifu said calmly. "He wouldn't tell me."

"But why…? Why did he help _you_?"

"I don't know," Shifu said once again. "Not the whole reason. But I do know that he doesn't agree with Fenghuang."

"I don't understand," Tigress told him. "Uncle has helped us since I came. Since before I came, actually. He is mother's friend."

"He is worried for you. And so am I."

Tigress snorted. "Please."

"Tigress, this is not you," Shifu continued.

"You don't know me," Tigress said sternly. "I don't care what my uncle has said about me. He probably lied anyways."

Shifu ignored what she just said, and continued, "Tigress, there is something you must understand."

"I do not have to listen to anything you say!"

"I did not leave you at the orphanage," Shifu told her, and then it was like everything became quiet.

Tigress was like a state, watching him with widened eyes. "What?" she asked with a hoarse voice.

"When your training was over, I returned back to the Jade Palace, yes. But after some days I talked with Master Oogway, and I understood that your training was far from over. I went back to the orphanage," Shifu said, looking at her with deep eyes. "But you weren't there."

The tiger in front of him stared, and he couldn't see if she was believing him or not. He hoped she was.

"I was told that you had been adopted, and that you were no longer living in the Valley of Peace. I know that I should have tried to find you, but I was sure that you were happy with your new family. I never thought that… Fenghuang…"

"My mother," Tigress hissed, "saved me."

"Tigress-"

"She was there. She gave me a home. She raised me. _She is my mother._"

Shifu listened to what she said, but then decided to speak, "Tigress, I am not your enemy."

"Then why are you here? In a dungeon?" Tigress asked, accusingly.

"Because Fenghuang…" Shifu trailed off, trying to figure out how he could tell her it. He had to make her believe him? If he just told her the truth, then she would believe it was all a lie.

This was his chance, and he had to use it well.

"When we were," Shifu had to clear his throat, "younger, we trained together here in the Jade Palace. But she changed… She wanted more power-"

"She deserved the power," Tigress cut him off. "She was the strongest."

"That is not how it works…" Shifu started, but trailed off again. Why did this have to be so hard? "Master Oogway defeated her-"

"Because he cheated!" Tigress exclaimed angrily.

Shifu scowled. Fenghuang was in so big trouble right now. "He did not."

"He did!"

"Did not."

"Did!"

"Did not…" Trying to do a face-palm, Shifu stopped himself. By the gods, he was acting like some stupid child. And Tigress was not better. But at least she had an excuse.

He then tried again. "Master Oogway stopped Fenghuang before she destroyed our home. But before we could take with her, she fled- to the northern mountains I believe. That is your home, isn't it?"

"'Was'," she corrected him. "The Jade Palace is my home now."

"Tigress, you must know that what your mother has told is not the truth," Shifu tried.

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because I am speaking the truth," Shifu told her, his ears lying flat against his head. Maybe he was just too late… "Your mother has been hiding because she knew she would end in jail if anybody found her."

Tigress snarled back, "I know that. But it is your fault! You wronged her!"

"She attacked her own master. She attacked us! Her friends…" Shifu's voice became quiet but then returned to his normal voice when he said, "She nearly destroyed her own home. Her actions were nothing but evil. Her mind became sick because of her need for power."

"My mother isn't sick!"

"The world doesn't work the way you believe," Shifu said sternly. "I know it is hard to believe-"

"Stop it!" Tigress yelled at him. "Just stop it! You should be dead!" The headache was now killing her brain.

Shifu sighed; he had to tell her it all now. When he had started, he had to finish. "Fenghuang may have done good ting, Tigress, but you must understand that we are not the villains," He said, referring to him and his students. "She is."

"No."

"And that is why the village is looking at you the way they do. Because for them, you are evil."

"They judge wrong. It is just because I am a tiger-"

"You killed somebody, Tigress!" Shifu exclaimed, feeling how desperation took over.

"He deserved it!" she shouted back.

Shifu sighed, leaning his head against the wall. "I cannot blame you for your actions, as you don't know better. Fenghuang has turned the world into lies, and the only one to blame is her. I just want you to know the truth."

"My mother wouldn't lie to me," Tigress said sternly.

"Then why didn't you know I was here?"

"I…" Tigress didn't know what to say. Stupid questions. Stupid Shifu. Stupid everything. "I am done talking with you," Tigress declared and left the room before Shifu could utter a word.

* * *

Fenghuang did not like rain. That was her only thought as she flew home.

Stupid raindrops that made her wings heavy. Her body cold. Her mood bad.

Stupid, stupid rain.

But as she landed in front of the palace, all the other thoughts came to her. Was Tigress doing fine? Was anything broken?

And had her trip ended as she wanted? Maybe it could have done better, but the owl was satisfied. Soon her plan was finished.

Deciding that she needed to check up on Tigress, Fenghuang walked towards the tiger's room. She better had to be sleeping… If she found her outside somewhere, training, then she would be in trouble. The tiger really needed to relax sometimes.

"Mother?" a voice called as she walked.

Turning right, Fenghuang saw Tigress sitting in the kitchen, waiting. "Tigress? I told you to go to bed."

Tigress took in a deep breath before saying, "Mother, there is something I have to tell you."

* * *

A/N: No! Tigress! Do not do it! Just don't! It will destroy Shifu's hope!

You like it, guys? Finally got it finished! ;) Some evil cliffhanger I left you with.

Håber I nød kapitlet.


	17. Vision

A/N: And I am back again! Wow, this story just continues… It feels like it was yesterday I published the first chapter!

And we reached 200 reviews! That is amazing, guys! Thank you so much! So… Can we beat the record and get more reviews than 'The Search For Golden Times'? Let us see!

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Vision **

Tigress took a deep breath but no words came out of her mouth. They just seemed hard to find.

Fenghuang raised an eyebrow, not understanding why the tiger was so quiet. That was why the owl did not want to leave the palace; there always happened something while she was gone. Now she just needed Tigress to tell what it was.

"Tigress," she started. "What is it?"

"I…" How could it be so hard? She just needed to say that Shifu was down in the dungeon.

But her mother already knew that…

The tiger bit her lip.

"Tigress," Fenghuang said sharply.

"I broke Uncle's gift," the tiger then said quickly. "It was an accident."

Fenghuang raised an eyebrow. "So?"

"The bottom is loose…"

"We can fix that later," Fenghuang told her shortly. She then putted a feather under the tiger's cheek. "My dear, you know that I am not mad. Accidents happens. You have your strength; and that is _wonderful_. I am not like-"

"The others," Tigress finished for her. "I know that."

Fenghuang petted her cheek. "Good. Now go to bed; you need your rest."

Tigress nodded and walked out of the room. But suddenly, she was back in the doorway. "Mother?" she called.

"Yes?" Fenghuang answered after letting out a sigh.

Tigress paused for a moment, but then said, "Goodnight."

Smiling, Fenghuang nodded. "Goodnight, Tigress."

The tiger walked back into her room, mind gone blank. What had just happened? Why had she not been able to say the words? To tell the truth?

Fenghuang was her mother! Of course she could trust her!

But right now everything just felt wrong.

After staring at the ceiling for hours, Tigress finally fell asleep.

* * *

"_Tigress?" Fenghuang called. _

_The tiger looked up, seeing her mother at the top of the stairs. "Mom?" _

_Suddenly the sky turned dark, letting out a threatening crash of thunder. Suddenly, Shifu was there too; attacking Fenghuang with a kick. _

"_Mother!" Tigress yelled, fearing how the battle would end. She ran forward, trying to get to her mother. But her path was blocked. _

_The Furious Four and the Dragon Warrior landed; seemingly coming from the sky. They took their battle stances and Tigress did the same. _

"_How did you get out?" she growled. _

"_You let us out," Viper told her. "Have you forgotten that?" _

_Crane tilted his head. "So thank you for doing that." _

"_Now we can take back our valley," Monkey continued. _

"_And kill you and your mother," Mantis finished. _

_Tigress growled. "Like that would happen!" _

_Suddenly, two arms caught her from behind, holding her trapped. _

"_Get off!" Tigress snarled, but the arms could just as well have been made out of steel. _

_She threw her head back, managing to get a glimpse of her attacker. "You…" _

_Tiger growled, tightening his grasp on her even more. _

"_You are dead!" Tigress yelled, trashing around in a try to get away. _

"_Not anymore." _

"_Face it," Viper said. "You are defeated." _

"_Both of you," Monkey added. _

_Tigress followed his glance and saw her mother fighting Shifu. Suddenly, it seemed like the red panda became stronger, because one of his attacks sent Fenghuang to the ground. _

_And she did not get up. _

"_No!" Tigress yelled desperately. _

_Viper slithered towards her, making her way to Tigress by climbing Tiger's body. She curled herself around Tigress' neck, but not too tight. _

_She was waiting. _

_Po moved forward, determination in his eyes. "You really make the wrong choices," he said, voice colder than ever. _

_Tigress would have said something, but Viper suddenly started strangling her. Letting out a hoarse gasp, Tigress widened her eyes. She tried to do something, but Tiger would not let her move. _

_Instead she could only feel how her lungs started to burn and how her head began to feel heavy. The edges of her vision turned white, and her strength disappeared. _

_Her head fell forward as she could not hold it up any longer. _

_Finally, she gave up and lost the little bit of consciousness she had left. _

Panting, Tigress woke up. What a nightmare! Her body was still shaking and she was gasping in a try to get more air into her lungs. She would never go to bed with such a messed up brain again!

Sitting up, Tigress saw how her paws were shaking like crazy. Just great. Now a nightmare was freaking her out.

But could it be a vision?

Was this her future? Was this what would happen if she made the wrong choice?

What a threat.

Should she have told her mother? A part of her said yes… But… Now they both had secrets.

It was like she was a child again and had done something wrong. She had to hide or else she would be in trouble.

She hated feeling like this.

It was like she was trapped inside this palace. She could not go down in the village. She should not be down with the students. And Shifu was supposed to be a secret.

What was she supposed to do?

Right now, forgetting Shifu seemed like the right idea. It was like she had opened a present before she was given it; if she pretended like nothing, then there would not be a problem.

That was her plan.

For now.

* * *

"Look who is alive!" Mantis exclaimed as Tigress entered the dungeon.

"Tigress," Viper greeted with her soft voice. Tigress suddenly remembered her dream; how murderous the snake had seemed.

But now she was calm.

Tigress took place in front of them as she used to.

"So what is more interesting than us?" Mantis asked her.

"Since we haven't seen you in a while?" Monkey continued.

Tigress shook her head, eyes distant. "Three days is not a long time," she said slowly.

Po and Viper shared glances, thinking the same. "What happened?" the snake then asked her.

"What do you mean?"

"Not even you are so quiet," Viper explained. "Something is wrong."

"Wrong for her or good for us?" Crane asked, knowing that the tiger and the warriors had different sights of what should happen.

Tigress glared at him. "Nothing is wrong," she said sternly.

"Right," Monkey snickered. "Is the bird mad at you or something?"

"Think about your words before talking about someone who can kill you," Tigress sneered warningly.

The warriors widened their eyes. This had not happened for a long time. Yes, they were not exactly the best of friends, but it had been a while since she had sneered like this.

Now they all knew something was wrong.

"Tigress," Viper said softly.

The tiger shook her head, but whispered, "I have done something very, very wrong."

Po looked at her closely. She did truly look troubled and her eyes were desperate. No matter what the problem was, then she had been struggling with it alone the last days. He could see that.

He then remembered the knife the others had made and suddenly became nervous.

Would they use her vulnerable state?

He hoped not. He still had his plan.

"And what is it?"

"I can't tell."

Viper was then the one to ask a question, "And does your mother know?"

Tigress shook her head. "That's the problem."

"So you go to us?"

"Of course not!" Tigress growled. "You are… you."

Po looked offended. "Yeah?! And you are you!"

Tigress just stared at them, and they stared back. Right now the sentences were just too weird. They did not make sense.

"And so what?" Viper dared to say. It warmed Po's heart to see he was not the only one who believed in his plan. "You have to talk about it with someone."

Tigress tilted her head. "If two persons said two different things about you… Then who should you trust?"

Viper made a movement that could look like a shrug. "I guess you have to trust on what you feel yourself."

The tiger thought about it. But what did she feel? She was just confused. "What if you found out a secret that made you doubting on yourself?"

"What _is _going on?" Crane asked. He was, like the others, confused.

Suddenly Tigress started to smile. "If you knew what was going on…" Should she tell them? No. Why should she? If she did, then they would just get back their hope and then bad things could happen. Maybe they would get able to get out of here…

Tigress remembered her vision again and the hair on her neck rose.

That would not happen. Right?

They would not kill her if it came to that. They could not.

She was stronger.

They were weak.

But Shifu… Her mother had defeated him easily. And she had done the same with the students.

Then why was she so worried? Tiger was gone… And now the warriors were weak after being in chains so long.

There was no need to worry.

"How does it feel?" Tigress asked them. "To be in chains?"

"Why? You want to try it?" Mantis joked.

Tigress just looked at him. "I don't know what to do with you," she then revealed.

"Explanation, please," Crane said, speaking for them all.

"Mother wanted to kill you," Tigress told them. "That was the plan all along. It was so you would not be a problem."

"Then what made you change your minds?" Viper asked her. "Why didn't you kill us?"

Tigress shrugged. "It was mine idea."

"But why did you…?"

"It was not your fault," Tigress explained. "It was Shifu's. He brainwashed you; filled you with lies. So it is not your fault that you have done the wrongs things; because you thought they were right."

The other stared at her, suddenly feeling bad. It was like their stomach had turned into stones.

They looked at the ground shamefully, but Tigress did not notice it.

She had suddenly realized something. Talking with them was not going to make anything better. She could not tell her mother and talking with Shifu again was just a bad idea.

But there was one person left.

Her uncle. He obviously knew more than her.

She had to find him.

Standing up, Tigress hurriedly said, "I have to go."

Before they could say anything, she was gone. There was silence until Po exclaimed, "I guess it is time!"

"For what?" Monkey asked.

"For all of you to admit that I was right!" the panda said sternly.

"Po, she is-"

"She is the reason why we are still alive; that is what she is!"

"But she is also the reason why we are here," Crane said sternly.

Viper slithered forward to stand beside the panda. "Po is right."

"Viper…"

"She saved our lives because she thought that we could not be blamed for our actions because someone had given us the wrong idea of the world." She paused before saying, "If we can't return that thought then what are we?"

Everybody thought about her words. "She is right," Monkey then said, and the others nodded and agreement.

"But that still don't change the fact that we have to get out of here!" Mantis exclaimed.

Po ignored that and asked, "So we won't hurt her?"

"Only if it necessary," Crane said.

"So that is a 'yes'?"

Viper smiled. "It is a 'yes', Po."

The panda held up a fist. "Right! Let's do it, guys!"

"Do what?" Monkey asked.

"Make Tigress good and take back the valley!" Po exclaimed in a serious voice.

"And how are we going to do that?" Mantis asked from his cage.

Po let his fist drop. "Uhm… Improvisation?"

The others just stared at him.

* * *

"Tigress," Shifu called as she entered the room. "It is-"

"I am not here to talk," she cut him off. "Not like that, at least. I need to find out where my uncle is."

Shifu sighed. "I already told you; I do not know. Tigress, you have to-"

"I can and will not let you out," Tigress answered quickly.

The red panda widened his eyes in surprise. Why had she thought he would say that? Of course the question would be asked later, but right now he was going slowly.

"Tigress," he began softly.

"You have to help me," she pleaded. "Shifu!"

"Why should you trust me?" he asked her. "I thought I was your enemy."

"I need your help," she said seriously. When he did not answer she became desperate. "You owe me!" she exclaimed.

Shifu looked up in surprise. "What? May I remind you of that these," he shook his hand to let the chain rattle, "are not something I have put on myself."

"I saved your students' lives," she told him. "Mother wanted to kill them, but I convinced her to let them live in the dungeon instead. Without me, they would be dead."

Shifu stared at her, trying to understand what he just had been told. Finally he said, "When your uncle visited me for the first time I thought he was an executer. He came about a week after I was thrown down here. He gave me food, but never did he let me out of my chains. Instead he told me about you."

"What did he say?" Tigress asked.

"He told me that you had liven hidden on a mountain; that Fenghuang had taken you from the orphanage the day I was about to do it. He told me about the time when you were a kid." Shifu could not help but smile. "That you like snow."

Tigress glared at him; not liking that he knew so much about her. But it had been her uncle who had told him it all…

"He also made me understand that this is not your fault. That it is your mother that has blinded you."

"My mother-" Tigress began but was cut off.

"Your mother loves you," Shifu said. "I know that. I understand that now. But she stills has lied for you."

Tigress covered her ears, not wanting to hear anymore. "I am not here to talk about my mother. Just help me find my uncle."

"He never told me where he lived. But he said that you and Fenghuang did not know that he was here. He was just here to tell me the truth."

"He never…?"

Shifu shook his head. "No. But I think he might have left a clue for you."

Tigress' face lightened up. "Where?"

"There." Shifu pointed on another corner of the cell. "I think he did not want me to see it, but I believe he left a note under one of the rocks."

Tigress ran over to the place and sure enough, there was a little piece of paper.

"_Do you still remember your old home, princess?" _

And Tigress then knew where he was.

* * *

A/N: And here you have it. Hope you liked it!

Another thingy! I receive many 'when are you going to update' question from anonymous reviews. Since I can't answer them it makes me frustrated. But seriously, guys, remember to check out my news section on my profile. It will tell you if my updates are late and why! So remember to check it out, also when you don't get a chapter telling you to do it!

Merry Christmas or what else you celebrate! Or just winter!


	18. Flying

A/N: And we are back again! To all of you who don't know; I just posted two new stories (one if an one-shot) so please remember to check them out. I know many of you already did; seriously, a day after posting them I have received like 40 mails from this site! Love it! So thanks!

I am happy to tell you all that this story is far from over! And, even better, if you search in the KFP category for reviews, this story will show up on the first page! I am so grateful! Thank you for making this possible!

Four reviews more… Can we do it, guys? Can we beat 'The Search For Golden Times' and make this my most reviewed story?! I believe we can!

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Flying **

"Tigress?" Shifu called. "Did you find it?"

But the tiger stood still as if she was a stone, not able to move. Instead she just stared at the old paper in her paws. What was going on?

Why was her uncle doing this? Was there even a reason behind all of this?

She guessed she had to find him to get some answers. But that was going to be hard.

Now she knew where he was, but how was she going to get home? Her mother did not seem to have any plans about a trip back to the mountain, and Tigress was not even allowed to go to the village by herself anymore…

"Tigress!" Shifu said again, this time a bit more harsh, so he could get her attention. When she looked at him, he finished in a softer tone, "What does it say?"

But Tigress only stared at him, not saying a word. How could he help her? He was in chains! And besides; she was still unsure if she could trust him.

Yes, he had just helped her, but that did not make her forgive all of his actions.

Then she closed her fist, destroying the paper that now was reduced to dust. She gave Shifu a last glance, then walked out of the cell. She had to talk with her mother.

Shifu watched her go, utterly confused. What was it with this tiger? One minute she was calm, the next minute she just stormed out.

What had Fenghuang done?

He now knew that the owl had filled the tiger's head with lies about how the world looked. And as Tigress only had been a cub when Fenghuang found her, she had not been able to find the truth by herself.

But now, when she was older, there might was a chance.

Shifu looked at his chains and tried moving again.

But first he had to get out of here.

* * *

"Mother?" Tigress called once again. She had just found the owl meditating in the Hall of Warriors, and now she tried to get her attention. "Mother, I have to ask you about something," she told her.

Fenghuang opened an eye. "What now, Tigress? Are there any problems?"

The tiger looked at the ground. She might as well just spit it out now…

"Can we go back to the mountain?" she asked quickly.

Fenghuang widened both of her eyes in surprise. "What?!"

"I want to go back," Tigress explained, more slowly this time.

"Tigress…" the owl began.

"It'll just take some few days. Or you can go with me, and we can fly!"

"Tigress, no," Fenghuang told her daughter sternly.

The tiger crossed her arms. "Why?"

"Because we cannot just leave now," the owl explained. "We have too many things to do."

"Like what?" Tigress challenged her.

"Oh, I made a mistake. Forgive me. I meant; _I _have too many things to do."

Tigress growled slightly. "Then just let me travel!" Why did her mother have to make it so difficult?!

"You are not able to go there by yourself," Fenghuang said, quiet harshly to make sure that the tiger understood that this was the end of the conversation.

"I know that mountain better than anyone!" Tigress protested. "Nothing bad will happen; I promise. I can take care of yourself."

Sighing, Fenghuang said, "I cannot believe we are having this discussion, Tigress. I said no, and that is the end of that."

"But-"

"No, buts. And why is that mountain so important?"

Tigress took in a deep breath, before exclaiming, "I want to go home!"

"This is your home now, Tigress," Fenghuang said sharply, indicating that she was soon getting angry. "Remember that."

"This is not a home!"

"_Tigress_!"

"This is a prison!"

"That is enough!" Fenghuang said so loudly that Tigress immediately fell quiet. "I will not hear you say that again. Understood? This is one of the greatest things that have ever happened to us. Why can't you just be happy for that?!"

Tigress felt sour tears fill her eyes. "This is not my home," she explained slowly. "I do not like it."

"Why?"

"Because I am not allowed to do anything," Tigress said, staring back without blinking. "And I want to be free."

Eyes softening, Fenghuang walked forward and pulled the stunned Tigress into a hug. "Everything will be okay," she explained. "Better than that. When my deals are finished, then you can go wherever you want. Nothing and no one will ever hurt you again. You just have to wait a little more."

Tigress nodded silently, feeling empty.

Fenghuang let go of her and held her out in front of her. When she saw a single tear falling down from the tiger's eye, she gently brushed it away. "Everything is going to be okay," she said again. "But now I want you to go to bed. You feel hot; maybe you have fever."

"Maybe…" Tigress muttered. "I don't feel good."

"And we don't want you to be sick," Fenghuang said as they both walked towards the tiger's room.

"Mother?" Tigress suddenly asked. "What if Uncle is in the mountain? Waiting for us? We can't just let him be alone."

"Yun-qi is smart," Fenghuang answered. "He can figure out where we are. Believe me; he once found me while I was travelling around for some months."

Tigress was surprised. "I thought you had to stay at the mountain."

"I just had to check out some things," the owl answered shortly. "Nothing of importance. And then of course, it was nice to stretch out my wings."

Tigress crawled onto her bed, ready to go to sleep. She actually felt sick. But maybe it was because of the headache she had gotten, because her world apparently was not as she had thought.

Fenghuang kissed her gently on her forehead; something she had not done since she was a little cub. "Goodnight, Tigress."

"Goodnight."

"And I promise you that we will come back. You just have to wait."

With that, the owl left the room. Tigress remained on her bed, not sure if she had the time to wait.

Maybe she should just try and run. She was quick; she could make a long way before the sun would rise. She could do it.

But her mother had wings…

Fenghuang would be able to catch up with her in no time.

She would never have a chance. Her mother would follow her while being in the skies, and the owl had amazing eyes so she could spot her daughter without any problems.

The tiger had no chance against that.

She would only come halfway to the mountains when her mother would caught up with her. And then she would be in severe problems. Her mother would be so mad.

The owl would never lose her of sight again.

Then she would not be able to talk with Shifu or the students or…

She could not run away. She understood that now.

But when could she then do?

* * *

About a week later, she got her answer. While eating breakfast with her mother, the owl suddenly said, "I am going away the next couple of days."

Tigress nearly choked her food. "What?"

"I have some final business to do," Fenghuang said. When she saw Tigress' raised eyebrow she added, "And I am going to tell you about it when I come home."

"Promise?"

"Promise," Fenghuang said. "And I believe you can take care of the palace while I am gone?"

Tigress nodded. "Of course."

So her plan had worked. Since she had found her uncle's note, Tigress had not visited any of the prisoners. Knowing that she had to get out of the palace, she had made sure that her mother would not find any of her actions suspicious.

It was not that she did not trust or like her mother.

She just wanted the truth.

And if, and it was a really big if, that her mother had lied like Shifu had said, then she must have had a good reason.

Tigress knew her mother would do anything to protect her.

That was one of the things why she loved her mother so much.

But now she was confused of what was going on.

"Mother," she said. "Why can't I know?"

Fenghuang tilted her head. "Because things have not been set yet. But when I come back, everything has been decided." She stroked her daughter's head. "But I can tell you that I am trying to get is some guards."

"Guards?" Tigress asked, surprised. She did not like the thought of that.

The owl nodded. "Yes. I do not like the thought of having to keep an eye of the prisoners all the time Besides; soon the other masters will come to try and interfere, and then I want an army. Just to be sure."

"The other masters?"

"You don't think they will just let us live here, do you?" Fenghuang said, but then saw Tigress' worried face. "It's going to be alright, dear. That's why I am making these deals."

"When will they come?" Tigress asked, lost in the idea of someone attacking her and her mother.

"The rumors of us have spread, but there will go some time before they pull themselves together and come here. They won't come while I am gone," she added. "Don't worry."

"How strong will they be?" Tigress then asked, already imagining an army in front of the palace, just waiting to kill them.

Fenghuang raised an eyebrow. "No one is going to hurt you, Tigress," the owl promised her. "I'll make sure of that."

"And what about you?"

The owl sighed. "I'll be fine. We'll be fine. Don't worry."

"Okay."

Fenghuang rose from her chair. "I have to leave already now. You'll take care of yourself while I am gone?"

"Yes. And you?"

Fenghuang started chuckling. "I can take care of myself. Remember to feed the prisoners."

"I will."

"And if it rains, stay inside."

Tigress raised an eyebrow. "Why should stay outside?"

"Because you never let anything disturb your meditation," Fenghuang answered quickly. "Not even cold water."

"Let's hope it won't rain then."

Fenghuang smiled. "And stay out of the village."

"Yes," Tigress muttered.

"And do not spend too much time with the prisoners," the owl reminded her.

"Yes," the tiger sighed.

"And if they say anything…"

"Then I won't listen," Tigress finished. "Because I am smarter than them."

Fenghuang nodded. "Exactly. I'll go now."

Tigress followed her outside. "Whoever you are going to visit, greet them from me," the tiger said.

The owl chuckled. "They are looking forward to see you. Goodbye, Tigress."

"Goodbye, Mother," Tigress said and then the owl started to fly. Fenghuang gracefully disappeared into the sky, and soon she was out of sight.

Tigress remained standing outside for a moment, but then walked back into the palace. She had to think fast. She found the tray she usually carried the prisoners' food on, and filled it completely with cups and bread.

When she entered the cell, she did not say much. Before the other could open their mouth, she simply said, "I am gone for some days, and Mother does not have the time to feed you."

She opened the door through the bars, and pushed the tray towards them. They looked at her in surprise. "Okay…? Where are you going?"

"I'll be back soon," she muttered quietly, and left the cell, leaving them wondering of what was going on. But as she was on her way to her room, Tigress suddenly remembered a certain red panda.

He also needed food.

Luckily, there was still some bread left. Quickly coming back from the kitchen, Tigress walked into the hidden room. She placed the bread and the food in front of. His chain just allowed him to take it.

"What is this?" he asked. "Where are you going?" He had apparently realized that she was going to travel away from the palace.

Tigress kept quiet; not wanting to tell him anything. She was not sure of whom she could trust right now. And Shifu was not exactly the person she liked the most.

"To your uncle?" Shifu asked and then she nodded. "I am sure he will be glad to see you."

Before Tigress left the cell, she asked him, "Shifu? You said you would bring me to the palace, but then my mother came… Why would you take me in?"

Shifu was quiet, but then finally said, "Because you belonged here."

Tigress could not help but notice the word 'belonged'. She had belonged here… But did not anymore.

At least that was he thought.

"But you were too late." Then she left, quickly getting outside. If she was fast, then maybe she could reach the mountains before the morning would come.

So she ran into the darkness.

* * *

Shifu sighed as he tried moving his wrists. Those chains had truly taken away his strength.

He had to get out.

Seeing the cups in front of him, those who had been placed there so he had water the next couple of days, he got an idea.

Stretching out his leg, he kicked. The stone floor became wet as the cup broke. Smirking, he managed to touch one of the sharp pieces with his foot, and suddenly it flew through the air.

Catching it with his tiny hand, Shifu suddenly knew how to escape. Those locks… He could open it with his piece of the cup.

He could and he would.

It would just take some time.

But time was right now the only thing he had.

Doing his best his could with moving his hand, Shifu started his plan.

* * *

A/N: I know, not the most exciting chapter… Mostly a filler, but I hoped it gave you an idea of what might will happen.

Well, you are not going to look forward to the next chapter... You'll probably start hating me again… Sigh. But as an author, you have to some things… Well, I am not going to spoil anything, so I'll just be quiet now.

Thank you for reading, and please share your thoughts!


	19. Painted Mirror

A/N: *Looks up from computer screen* Oh, hey! Didn't see you there! Me? Well, I am just posting a new chapter to 'Spread Your Wings'. If you will like it? Of course! I have a bit of a surprise to you all! Muhahaha! No, I did not just laugh evilly.

Oh, and this story is now the most reviewed out of all my stories! Thank you for that, guys!

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Painted Mirror **

Tigress ran as fast as she could. Her legs were burning, but right now she did not care. She was on her way back… She was so close now! She was already climbing the first bit of the mountain and it felt great!

She remembered it! All of it!

Home, sweet home! Much better than a strange palace!

This was where she grew up! Of course she had missed it! Maybe it was an old, cold cave, but right now it as the best place on Earth.

But her mother… How was she going to explain this? Tigress knew how mad the owl would be… And she was not looking forward to face that anger.

But she was sure that she was heading towards the right place. Her uncle… He had to be here! Where else could he be?

Home! Home! Home! She wanted to yell it out loud! It had been a long time since she had been this happy.

If only she could get her mother to understand… She did not want a palace. Yes, Shifu had done some things wrong, but if controlling the valley meant that she and her mother would be in danger, then the Jade Palace did not mean anything.

She just wanted to be happy with her mother.

Why was that suddenly so hard?

* * *

Yun-qi sighed. How long could it take for the cub to understand? His notes had been very clear; nothing could be misunderstood. At least; that was what he thought.

Then why was she not here? His guess would be Fenghuang. That owl was way too protective. That was something he had to talk with her about when he saw her. Actually, he had a lot of things to talk with her about.

Most of them were about Tigress.

It had been way too long since he had seen her.

But, as the thief he was, he had been hiding to avoid prison, but that was only until he heard of Grandmaster Oogway's death. He knew Fenghuang's plan.

He also knew that he had to do something.

That was why he had found his way to Shifu's cell. He was not that proud of it; but he had been spying Tigress since she had arrived to the palace.

People truly underestimated him… He was a thief! Of course he was soundless! Maybe he was a bit old, but that did not mean that he had lost his skills!

So that was why he had seen Fenghuang deciding to let Shifu live. And then he knew he had to talk with the master.

But he also had to talk with Tigress.

That was why he had left the notes. Quiet clever if he could say it himself.

Yun-qi walked out of the cave, hands behind his back. Where was she? He knew her; she was fast. And smart. She could figure it out.

And he was filled with happiness when he spotted her form in the distance.

There! On her way, nearly at the bottom, but she was on her way. From the cave he could see everything.

Now he just had to wait here…

Then his light green eyes spotted something different. Someone who was not supposed to be here.

_No. _

A raccoon dog and a fox standing on the top of one of the cliffs. It was clear that they were looking at the same tiger as he had done.

And Yun-qi knew what they were planning. And he would not let them do it.

No way he had used all the time to get the tiger here only to let her be killed.

Hurrying down the mountain, Yun-qi ran towards Tigress.

* * *

Fenghuang was satisfied. The plans were coming along, and she was happy about the deals. Things were going great! Now she just needed to fly back to the Valley of Peace.

She just hoped that Tigress had not been making too many troubles. She was sure that her daughter would be glad too.

They were now safe. No one army could get to them without defeating their army. And that was impossible.

Guards… It would be nice knowing that someone kept an eye on Tigress.

It would make Fenghuang way more relaxed.

Since when had things been going this easily? Was it all really true?

But it was. She and Tigress were ruling the valley and now _nothing _could stop them.

Her daughter was safe.

That was what she wanted.

And with that thought, Fenghuang began the long journey home.

* * *

Tigress was tired. She hated to admit it, but she truly was. She had only allowed herself some few hours rest since she had left the Jade Palace, and now she was feeling the fatigue.

But she had to keep moving.

She was so close.

And when she could see her cave in the distance, her tail started to swing happily. Home at last.

"Uncle!" she yelled. She just wanted to see him, and that was why she kept yelling his name. "Uncle Yun-qi!"

But suddenly she was thrown aside. Quickly getting to her feet, Tigress growled as she tried to find the enemy. "What are you…? Uncle?" she gasped as she saw the lynx in front of her.

"No time to explain, princess," Yun-qi said breathlessly. Instead she started pushing the tiger back to the road, forcing her down on all fours. "We have to get out of here!"

"But I just came here!" Tigress exclaimed. "What is happening?"

"Just do as I say!" the lynx shouted and pushed her forward. "Go!"

"But-"

"Now!" he grabbed her shoulder and started to run, causing her to follow.

Tigress widened her eyes. Something was going on, and she did not know what. But she knew that it was something bad. If her uncle was behaving like this, then things were serious.

"Please," she muttered as she ran.

"I'll tell you everything when we have reached a safe place," Yun-qi told her. "Just a little more, girl."

"Who is following us?" Tigress asked, understanding that was the problem.

"Not the time," the lynx gasped out, having a hard time running as fast as her. "We'll make it; don't worry."

But Tigress remained confused. What was he talking about? But when she looked to her left, she suddenly saw them. "Uncle…" she started.

"I know. Ignore them; don't let them know you have seen them," Yun-qi told her.

Tigress nodded silently. But she had seen them; a fox and a raccoon dog. But why were they such a great threat? She could handle them; she had defeated all Shifu's warriors on her own.

"Uncle," she said. "I can fight them."

Yun-qi shook his head. "There are way more of them. They are just hiding."

"But… But this is my mountain!" Tigress exclaimed, not liking how others were ruling her home.

"I know, girl. But when you left, they came." The lynx sighed. "It was just stupid of me to first realize that now."

"You…?"

"Just keep moving, princess."

Finally, they were at the bottom of the mountain. Tigress' legs were now burning, but she did not say a sound. Some sharp rocks had managed to cut her paws, but nothing serious. She looked at her uncle; he was sweating and panting.

Yun-qi caught her glance. "Do you know a great hiding place, girl?" he gasped out.

Tigress tried to remember, but her mind was fuzzy. She was overwhelmed with shame as she caught herself in thinking '_Where is Mother?" _She could do this on her own.

"I think there is a small cave nearby," she told her uncle. "I once found some travelers camping there." She remembered it well; also the look on their faces when they had seen her. "Follow me."

And she was right. Hiding inside the opening in the cliff, Yun-qi and Tigress allowed themselves to relax. But only for a short moment.

Yun-qi sprung up again, quickly covering the little entrance with some nearby branches. When nearly no sunlight reached in, he walked the few steps back to Tigress.

"And we made it," he grinned quietly. "Thanks to you."

"Who are they?" Tigress whispered back, her eyes narrowing as she looked at the blocked entrance.

"Bad people," Yun-qi said. "Murderers. They just want money and power."

"Then why are they after us?"

"They are not exactly a fan of you and your mother," the lynx said shortly. "That is why it was so stupid of me brining you here."

Then Tigress remembered why she was at the mountain right now. "Why did you leave the notes?" she asked. "It made me so confused."

Yun-qi smiled. "Sorry 'bout that, girl, but I had to talk with you alone. And your mother isn't exactly the one who leaves you alone often…"

"I just don't understand…"

Yun-qi tilted your head. "You talked with Shifu, didn't you?"

"Yes…" Tigress nodded. "But why did you save him?"

The lynx shrugged. "The same reason why you decided to spare the students' lives. Because killing them isn't right."

"But why…?"

"What did Shifu say to you? What did the students say?"

"That mother has lied," Tigress whispered. "But I… Uncle, please help me understand."

Yun-qi sighed; why was it that he had to be the one doing this? It was going to break the girl's heart. "You mother… Loves you very much. But she also has lied to you to make you have the same feelings as her."

"How?"

The lynx put a paw on her face. "The world isn't as you think."

"But why should mother…?"

"Because your mother feels like she had been tricked. So when she found you, she wanted you to feel mad too."

"But…"

Yun-qi held her head still. "Shifu is not bad. I know that you believe that; that people has told you that, but it is wrong."

"He…"

"Your mother attacked her friends because she wanted to rule the Jade Palace. That was a wrong thing to do. So when they fought her, it was to protect the valley. Your mother won't see the truth as she is blinded by her anger."

"But… But mother isn't evil!" Tigress exclaimed.

"She has lied…"

"But she is not evil!"

Yun-qi raised an eyebrow. "I never said that, girl."

"She loves me," Tigress said sternly. "I know that! You know that too! She's not evil; she is just very mad."

"Tigress, you have to see through the lies."

"But how do I know that is true and what it false?" Tigress exclaimed, almost sobbing. This was just too much. "How?"

"You have to feel it," Yun-qi said. "With your heart."

"She loves me…" Tigress said again.

Yun-qi nodded. "She does. You changed her, Tigress, but now I have to stop her before she destroys your future. I don't want to see you in chains."

"She is making deals; we are getting guards."

"Tigress," Yun-qi said softly, getting her attention. "That still don't change the way you are living."

The tiger was in a panic. It felt like her head was splitting into two. If her mother, the person she trusted most, had lied, then who could she trust? How was the world truly? How was she going to figure out the truth?

The lynx stroke away a tear. "It's like looking into a mirror, girl. Your mother painted yours; now you have to look through the painting to see the truth."

"But how?!" Tigress exclaimed. "What am I going to do?"

"I'll go with you back and talk with her," Yun-qi said. "Your mother wants you to have the best life; maybe we can talk some sense into her."

"Why first now?" Tigress muttered and the lynx understood.

"Would you have believed me?" he asked. "Your mother has a grip on you that I can't break. But maybe you are growing up a bit…"

"I am grown up," Tigress huffed. "But I can't leave her."

Sighing, Yun-qi said, "We will get through it, girl. She'll understand… After having kicked my butt for tricking you into coming here."

Tigress nodded distantly. Was it really true? Her mother… Lying? But being bad? No! The owl must just have misunderstood some things. Her mother was not evil! Her mother was her mother! That meant she was the best person in the world.

But it seemed like everybody else had a different opinion of that.

* * *

Shifu was close. Soon, soon it would happen. With the last flick of his hand, the chain finally fell down. Even though his wrist was sore, it felt good to finally be able to move it again.

With a smile on his face, he looked at the final three cuffs. But with one hand free, it was nearly too easy to get out of here.

Some minutes later, he was standing. His body was tired and weak, but it would be better. Some food and rest would bring him good.

But right now he had other things to think of.

His students.

Rushing out of the cell, he tried to find them. He then remembered what Tigress had said; Fenghuang was still home. But if the owl did not have the time to bring them food… Then why should go down here and check on them?

He just had to be careful.

Shifu soon found the right way; he knew how this dungeon worked. And so he silently opened the door and stepped inside.

The looks on their faces were priceless.

"Master Shifu?" they all exclaimed. "How…?"

"Careful," he said. "Don't raise your voices."

Viper slithered closer. "We were told you were dead," she explained.

"I know," the red panda said. "Now let's get out of here." He kicked the door open, and soon did the same with the chains.

"What are we going to do, Master?" Crane said. "Tiger is dead and…"

"We will make a ceremony for him when this is over," Shifu said quietly. "Now we have to defeat Fenghuang and Tigress."

"But how?" Monkey asked. "They kicked our butts last time…"

Shifu nodded. "We are going to gather the Master's Council."

"Master Shifu," Po said, holding up a paw.

The red panda ignored him and continued, "I am sure that they have already heard of the situation-"

"Master Shifu!" the panda tried again.

"And will offer us their help," Shifu finished and then turned to look at Po. "What?"

"It's about Tigress..."

Sighing, Shifu said, "I already know that, Po."

"Know what?" Mantis asked, not getting what they were talking about.

"And we will discuss it later," Shifu said to the Dragon Warrior but then turned to look at all of his students. "But now we need to get out of here."

* * *

Yun-qi stared at the sad tiger. He had done the right thing. He was sure of that. She just needed some time to take it all in.

"Tigress," he said softly.

"Why should I believe you?" the tiger whispered. "If everybody else is lying…"

"Some things are true," the lynx said. "You know that."

"I can't do it," Tigress said.

"Tigress…"

"I don't want to know this!" Tigress exclaimed. "It was easier before!"

Yun-qi smiled bitterly. "Things can't be easy all the time."

"This is madness," Tigress said and buried her head in her paws.

"Tigress…" he started again, but before he could say more, he noticed it.

The arrow that was flying towards them, through the bushes.

"Down!" he yelled and shielded her with his body.

* * *

A/N: Merry Christmas for you who celebrates it! Though, Christmas was yesterday for me (in DK it's December 24. that we hold Christmas). As a present I give all of you a cliffhanger *receives angry glances* what?

So… I have been thinking of the plat of this story… And believe me, guys… We haven't even started yet! Who are those new enemies? What are Fenghuang's deals? What will the Master's Council do? What was Tiger's role in all of this?

I only think we are halfway, guys! Merry Christmas!


	20. Golden Pattern

A/N: Yeah… I just love the story right now. Even though (I just spit it out) it makes me sad that the numbers of my reviews has fallen. That's… It's driven me crazy, honestly. I love this story so much, and I know you also d, it's just… I am having statistics for this story. I just hope the average won't fall.

So… I know this is like weird. With writer's block and everything. But I just love writing! I love making my readers happy (with a new chapter; what's in the chapter can make you sad).

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Golden Pattern **

Tigress could feel her own heart beating against her chest. Had they found them? Unsheathing her claws, she made herself ready to fight.

If she could defeat the mighty Dragon Warrior, then she could also handle those guys. She knew how to deal with arrows.

She had just been surprised when this one came. Her mind had been focusing on what she just had been told, and that had stressed her. Her mother…

No! She had to think of that later.

"Uncle?" she whispered, feeling how the lynx was still pressing her towards the ground.

"Stay still," he hissed back. And so she became quiet again.

But she was listening. She could hear footsteps outside the little cave. They were coming closer but then it stopped.

"Let's go," she heard a voice say, and soon she could hear them walk away. Taking in a deep breath, she allowed herself to relax.

"They are gone," she told Yun-qi, but received no answer. Her nose wrinkled as she caught up a familiar sense. Though, she did not want to smell it here. "Uncle?" she asked, nervously.

"You can come out now," he answered with trouble.

Afraid of what she would see when they came out in the light, Tigress got them both out of the cave; Yun-qi using her shoulder as support. Staying on all fours, Tigress looked at her uncle.

And then she understood where the smell of blood came from.

"No," she whispered. "No, no, no. Uncle?"

Yun-qi's entire chest was covered in blood and the arrow was still sticking out of his side. He leaned against the cliff wall so he would not fall. He gave her a weak smile. "It's okay, princess."

But the tiger had started shaking all over. Her uncle was hurt, and he was hurt badly. What should she do?

She was not a healer…

Though, her mother had taught her how to bind up a wound with bandages or saw it up with needle and thread.

But here right now, she had no bandages or needle and thread. They were on a mountain, far away from a village.

What should she do?

Whimpering slowly, she crawled towards him. "Uncle?" she asked again.

"Get back to the palace, girl," he told her. "Talk with your mother."

Tigress shook her head. "No. Not without you."

"You have to."

"No!" she almost roared, and then came forward to press her head against him, hoping to get some comfort.

Yun-qi let himself slide down to the ground, while stroking her head. "It isn't that bad, girl," he muttered silently. "I am old, you know. Older than your mother." He smiled softly; knowing how Fenghuang would kill him if she heard that. The owl was not that happy about her age; she did not like getting older.

"What can I do?" Tigress asked him. She could feel how the blood had seeped through his clothes and was now slowly touching her head.

"Remove your head for a moment," Yun-qi told her and she did what he said. He then reached out a shaking hand, and quickly pulled out the arrow.

Tigress watched in awe; she had never experienced anything like this before. She never actually killed a traveler while living on the mountain. And the battle with Tiger…

Everything had just happened so fast. Besides; he had been a jerk.

But her uncle…

This just could not be happening.

"Here we go…" Yun-qi gasped out, letting the arrow fall to the ground. "Much better."

"Are you going to die?" she asked him, whispering.

His expression softened up when he met her eyes. "Don't sound so sad, princess."

"You can't do that," she protested. "You can't die!"

"I don't exactly think it's a choice."

Letting out a whimper, Tigress said, "I can bring you to a village. You can sit on my back…" She trailed off when he shook his head, rejecting her ideas. "Please, Uncle!"

"You have to go."

"But…" Tigress felt the first tears leaving her eyes. "But you promised that you would help me with talking with mom." She placed herself on the ground before him, head on her paws that was stretched out in front of her.

"I guess you have to that alone."

"I can't!"

He gave her a weak smile. "Try. And I apologize for breaking my promise." His breathing was heavy, and a little stream of blood was coming out of his mouth.

"You shouldn't have pushed me away."

"Oh... That? You shouldn't be worrying about that, girl; I tripped," Yun-qi said, but it was clear that he was only telling her that to make sure she wouldn't blame herself.

"Don't leave," Tigress whimpered. He and her mother were everything she had. If she lost him… A howl full of pain tore her throat as she realized what was going to happen.

"No, no," he muttered and brushed away some tears from her face. "Look at me. Look at your old uncle." Slowly she did what he said. "You see? I'm an old man. And I've made mistakes too…" He paused for a moment while struggling to breathe. "Don't become a thief, princess. That job sucks and working at night just takes away your sleep. Besides; everyone is just going to hate you."

"I don't hate you."

"A lot of other people do. That's why I just had to…" There was another pause. "Disappear sometimes. People make mistakes. But they can still be good persons. That is what I told Shifu."

Tigress looked up again. "Why?"

"Because… You're a good… Person." He was breathing heavily, and weird gasps came from his bloody mouth. "Remember that…"

Nodding slightly, Tigress laid down her head while he kept stroking it.

* * *

"_So," the lynx began, sitting down in front of the tiger cub. "Babysitting… Great." _

_Tigress just glared at him. _

"_What do you want to do?" he asked her after sighing. "And we are not going to fight again!" he suddenly exclaimed, remembering what had happened when they did that. His arm still hurt… _

"_Why not? Mom said I should train-" _

"_But 'Mom' isn't here right now," Yun-qi told her. "You just got the chance to have some fun, girl! What do you want to do?" _

_But the cub was quiet, not knowing what to answer. _

"_Come on!" he exclaimed. "There must be something else you want to do than using me as a training dummy!" _

_Tigress just tilted her head. Her mother was out, somewhere in the sky, and had left Yun-qi and Tigress back in the cave. She had told the lynx that being an uncle gave him some responsibility, and now he was here; babysitting. _

"_Uhm…" the lynx said, feeling a bit uncomfortable under the feline's glance. "Your mother said you liked dominoes, huh? Want to play?" _

"_Okay…" _

"_I like your enthusiasm," Yun-qi muttered sarcastically as he made his way to Tigress' stuff that was lying in the corner. He held up a box. "Is it this one?" _

_She nodded and he walked back to her, bringing the dominoes. "Do you want to start?" he asked, giving her a bunch of the golden wood pieces. _

_Having done this a million times before, Tigress quickly made them all stand, only using one movement with her hand. _

_Yun-qi widened his light green eyes, clearly impressed by her skills. "That was fast." _

"_Your turn," Tigress said quietly. She had learned that Yun-qi was nice, but he was still like a stranger to her. She had first met him yesterday, and even though their little Kung Fu fight had been fun, it still had not made the strongest bond between them. Besides; she missed her mother. _

_Yun-qi nodded and tried to place a domino; only to fail greatly as it lost its balance and fell down to destroy the whole pattern. "Eh… I am not so good at this." _

"_I can see that." _

"_Be nice. I am new to this." _

_Grinning, Tigress took all of his dominoes. "Hey!" he yelled. "They are mine." _

"_Mom gave them to me." _

"_Yeah, but I borrowed them." _

_Tigress raised an eyebrow. "And I am taking them back." She started making a new pattern. _

"_Haven't anybody told you about the joy of sharing things?" the lynx asked her. _

"_No." _

"_Seriously, how bad was that orphanage?" he asked without thinking further about it. _

_Tigress looked at the ground and said quietly, "Bad." _

"_Oh…" Yun-qi said, remembering the few things Fenghuang has said about Tigress' past. _

"_They wouldn't open the door." _

_The lynx nodded. "Yeah, I know that feeling. I was stuck in a prison once." _

"_You were? Why?" _

"_Uhm…" He bit his lip. This was not exactly a good conversation with a child. "A misunderstanding. But let's change subject. Favorite color?" _

_She just glared at him. _

"_Fine! Let's chance subject again! Uhm… Would you like to hear a story?" _

"_Yes," Tigress said and quickly removed the dominoes from the floor. She then placed herself in front of him. _

_Yun-qi looked around nervously. He had not expected that his suggestion would be such a hit. "Okay… Attention towards me… Just great!" he muttered. Nope; he did not like babysitting. "How do I start?" _

"'_Once upon a time'," Tigress said while waiting. _

"_Sure. Uhm… Once upon a time there was an owl…" _

"_Mother already told that story." _

"_Then I'll tell another one. Once upon a time there was a feline. It was powerful and strong and had sharp fangs. Its fur was orange like flames-" _

"_A tiger!" Tigress exclaimed. _

_But Yun-qi shook his head. "No, because it had no stripes. But the animals both feared and adored the feline. But one day, a dragon entered its territory. The feline knew how much danger the dragon would be for the villagers that lived there, and fought the dragon before it could hurt anyone. It was a long fight… But in the end the feline won. But the dragon had managed to scratch it with its long claws. The feline's whole body was covered in these wounds. But when time passed, the wounds turned into black scars." _

"_And then it became a tiger?" Tigress asked him. _

_Her uncle nodded. "Exactly. And it cubs were born with the same scars, and so on and so on. End of story. So," he said, smacking his hands together. "Bedtime. For you, I mean! Not me; I'm an adult." _

"_Fine," Tigress said and walked over to her bed. "Goodnight, Uncle." _

_And Yun-qi found himself smiling. "Goodnight, princess." When he was sure that the cub was asleep he muttered for himself, "'Uncle'? I like that… 'Uncle'." _

* * *

"Uncle?" Tigress asked, finally looking up again. It felt like they had been sitting there forever. But when she looked up, she understood that it was over.

Yun-qi's hand had stopped stroking her head, and his chest was no longer moving. Understanding he was gone, Tigress crawled closer to him, pressing himself against him in a try to get comfort.

But he was dead, and she was alone.

Howl after howl tore the silence as Tigress cried for her uncle.

She was going to kill them.

_She was going to kill them! _

Killing her uncle was unforgivable. She would make them pay.

But right she felt like a little child, desperate for someone to comfort her.

Her mother was far away, and when she finally found her, the truth had to come out.

She was just so confused…

Sighing along with letting out another whimper, Tigress looked up to see her uncle's peaceful face. Should she bury him? Yes, of course. But now? And how?

It was her own stupid fault. If she just had been quicker, stronger, smarter… She could have taken out the bandits before they had found the cave. Now her uncle was dead and it was all her fault!

Stupid world, stupid bandits.

Why was everything just so unfair?

If they just never had went to the Jade Palace. Everything had been so much better when they had lived in the cave.

Just her and her mother living without fighting each other, with no lies, and her uncle would come by to tell her story and bring her presents.

They would live as a family.

But now things were falling apart.

Yun-qi was dead.

Her mother was somewhere in the sky, keeping secrets from her.

And she was here… Not knowing what to do.

What if those murderers still were here? A part of her wanted them to be here so she could rip their throats out.

But right now she was just so tired.

In long time she just laid there by the feet of her dead uncle, waiting for something to happen. Something good. She deserved that, did she not?

And in that time she just had her thoughts.

So when somebody called out, she immediately sprung up, showing her claws.

"Miss?" had the mountain cat said, but now, he and the four other animals walked backwards, shock in their faces. "Calm down, calm down…"

"I am going to kill you!" Tigress hissed and jumped towards them.

"Wait!" the mountain cat yelled. "We were sent to help you!"

Tigress stared at them, giving them a short moment to explain.

"Our master, Ju-long, he… He knows your mother."

"What?" Tigress snarled, surprised.

"Please, Master Tigress, do not hurt us," the mountain cat said again and finally Tigress took some steps back.

The tiger sat down, looking at them with true curiosity. Behind the mountain cat were two wolves and two boars, all having weapon but they were not threatening her.

Instead the mountain cat continued explaining. "Master Fenghuang has been visiting Master Ju-long often the last month."

"So that's where she has been," Tigress muttered but he heard it.

"So you do know of it?"

"I did not know his name, but I do know that they have been making some… Business?" she said, slightly unsure.

The mountain cat nodded. "Exactly. And then we heard of the accident here…"

"How?" she asked and looked at the mountain cat pointed upwards, towards the sky. Tigress now saw the two vultures.

They were circling around above them. "Hey," one of them greeted while the other one said, "How are you doing?"

Tigress stared at the strangers? Were they really trying to help her? And how?

Remembering her uncle, Tigress walked back on all fours to sit by the dead lynx' side again. She could not just leave him…

The mountain cat walked closer, and Tigress now noticed details. He was a male, obviously, and he was older than her. He was wearing a green and golden robe, and a sword was hanging at his belt.

"I am sorry," he said softly.

"Do you know those who did it?" Tigress asked, eyes on the arrow that was lying beside the lynx. "They were two…"

"We are trying to keep an eye on them," the mountain cat said. "They are thieves that have invaded this mountain after you and your mother left. They are pretty dangerous… As you can see. I am sure Master Ju-long will make sure that they will be punished when he hears about this."

Tigress nodded slowly. "My uncle said that they were after me… Why?"

"Because they are afraid that you and Master Fenghuang will return here and take your mountain back."

"I see…" Tigress growled loudly when she remembered what they had done. "My uncle…"

"Master Tigress," the mountain cat said. "I would appreciate if you would come with us to Master Ju-long's fortress. It is only some few hours walking away from here… And you really should not be here alone. Especially not now…"

Tigress stared at her uncle. "I can't…"

"We will make sure that someone will come and take care of him," the mountain cat promised. "When we arrive, a letter will be send to your mother so she knows where you are. She just left yesterday, actually…"

Tigress thought about it. She truly could not stay here, and returning home would take her days of travelling. Why was it that she had never heard of Ju-long before? Or his fortress?

"I'll go with you," she finally said and gave her uncle a last glance.

And so they started walking, the two vultures following them from the sky.

* * *

Fenghuang was in a great mood when she came home. She was tired, yes, but happy. "Tigress," she called. Too long time had passed since she had seen her daughter. She was sure that the tiger would like the news.

"Tigress?" The owl walked through the palace, opening each door with a kick. For each empty room her heart started beating faster.

Eyes widened in horror, Fenghuang searched for her daughter. "Tigress? Tigress!"

When she reached her daughter's room, she realized it. She did not even have to read the note on the floorboards.

Tigress was gone, on her way to the mountain.

Stupid girl!

Why was she doing this? Why was she putting herself in danger for that foolish reason?

Great. Just great.

Now she had to fly back with her tired wings… Just to find her daughter and scold her.

She had raised her better than this! Just running off like that…

Fenghuang picked up the note with her talon, just to get some more knowledge of when her daughter had left.

But her purple eyes widened when she saw that the note was not from Tigress.

* * *

A/N: Yeah… I know that I am supposed to relax. But I just loved writing this… Even though it almost made me cry. I love Yun-qi but his death has been planned from the start. Sorry.

I would like to thank all who has reviewed.

Now would some of you again help me with my writer's block and review, so I can hear your thoughts? It would truly mean a lot!


	21. Sleeping Beauty

A/N: I love this story! Seriously, that's why I keep updating! I just can't stop writing! My fingers are on fire! So here is the next chapter! And yes, I will update "Long Lost, Long Hidden" soon.

By the way, I posted a new story called "Stripes of a Tiger". Remember to check it out.

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Sleeping Beauty **

"_My dear Fenghuang, _

_I believe that you now are safely home and have found my little… Should we say 'surprise'? I am truly sorry that I have to do it this way, but you should know, Fenghuang, that I want power. _

_And you have the power I need. _

_Come to my palace and we'll discuss what needs to be discussed. Fear not; your daughter will not be harmed, but she'll stay with me until a fair deal has been made. _

_Please, Fenghuang; we both know that this can turn out on a great way for us both. _

_-Ju-long" _

Fenghuang dropped the paper and it fell slowly to the ground. For a moment the owl stared into nothing, but then the purple eyes narrowed.

Hate and anger could be seen.

How dared he? How dared he?! Her daughter? He had the courage to touch her daughter?!

She was going to kill him! She would rip him into little pieces of fur and then she would set fire to the rest that would be of him!

Letting out an angry scream, the owl left the room. Flying back did not seem as a problem now when she knew that her daughter was out there, in the hands of a man that would not hesitate with killing her.

Why had she been stupid enough to let her daughter be alone?

Tigress was vulnerable, even though some would doubt it. But she had grown up with Fenghuang and she had been raised to do what her mother said. She had never truly been alone…

Fenghuang knew that separating herself and her daughter would be a threat to Tigress. The tiger would not know what to do; she would go into panic. She would not think clearly…

Knowing that she had to get to Ju-long as soon as possible, Fenghuang left the palace to disappear into the black sky.

* * *

Tigress looked around nervously when they reached the fortress. The mountain cat was still walking beside her; more quiet than she liked.

"Is it here?" she asked, just to be sure. Why had she never heard of it before now?

"Yes," he answered shortly.

And surely enough; Tigress could soon she the façade of Ju-long's home as the rest of it went into a mountain. Numerous guards were at the front gate, but they all stepped aside then they came near.

"How many are you?" she asked the still un-named mountain cat.

He grinned. "Not too few."

"And why are you a part of it?"

He turned to look at her. "The money. Simple as that. And living here is better than being out in the cold."

Tigress shrugged. "I guess so. And my mother… Do you know her?"

"I have had the chance to meet her, yes. But not too personal; I was just there as a guard when she visited Ju-long."

"Oh…"

"She talked a lot about you."

Tigress looked up. "She did?"

He nodded. "Ju-long really wants to meet you now."

"I'll admit; I don't know a lot about him. My mother would not tell me anything until the deals were set," Tigress said slowly, thinking about her talk with Fenghuang.

How mad would the owl be when she found out that she was here? And how was it again that she knew this Ju-long? Tigress had never heard his name before.

Why was he a secret too?

They walked through the hallways, and Tigress noticed how everybody was staring at her. She glared back for some seconds, but then decided to stare at the floor instead. She did not want to make any problems.

The memory of her uncle's death was still painfully clear to her. Tigress closed her eyes in sorrow as she suddenly felt like she was back at the mountain.

She could not help but blame herself.

If she just had been quicker… Then her uncle would not be dead. It was all her fault.

What would her mother say when she found out? How mad would she be? How disappointed?

Tigress knew that Fenghuang and Yun-qi had been friends in many years. Many, many years. How was the owl going to react when she found out that her dear friend was dead?

Would her mother blame her too?

Tigress' ears lay flat against her head at the thought.

She already missed her uncle. But right now she had to think of what she was going to do next. If her mother trusted this Ju-long… Then maybe she should too.

After all he had been the one to send out his guards so she could be safe. But they had been too slow to save her uncle…

She had been too slow too…

The doors in front of her opened, and she pulled herself out of her thoughts. "Is he here?" she asked the big cat beside her.

"He'll be soon," the mountain cat promised. "He just needs to take care of some things; then he will meet you here."

He backed away, leaving Tigress alone in the big room. There was not much light and she looked around to see if anything was hiding from her.

But she was alone. The room was only filled with some chairs and tables, but no persons. It was only her.

Tigress chose one of the chairs and sat down in it. She was just so tired. She had just lost her uncle and now she was in this strange place.

She just hoped that her mother would come soon.

But maybe her mother had not even arrived yet. Then she would have to stay here overnight; something she just did not want to.

Finally the door became opened, and a person entered the room. Tigress rose from her chair and bowed; when she looked up she was surprised to see a wolverine standing in front of her.

"Master Ju-long?" she asked slowly. For some reason she had imagined him… Taller.

He nodded and smiled to her. "What a pleasant surprise to finally meet you, Tigress. Though, I am sorry for the reason _why _you are here."

Tigress' eyes became full of sorrow again as she remembered her uncle and what had happened to him. Ju-long turned around to sit down in a chair in front of her.

Following his example, Tigress did the same and sat back down. "You…" she began. "I was told that you would help me."

He nodded. "Your mother is a friend of mine."

"You were making deals?" Tigress said, raising an eyebrow. "How? And what kind?"

"Your mother knows that you two cannot take care of the Jade Palace on your own. It is only a matter of time before your prisoners will try and break out, and the other masters are already making plans of how to defeat you."

"She wanted guards…"

Ju-long smiled to her. "Exactly. And I have more guards than I need. We were talking about how we could work together."

"You… Does she know that I am here?" Tigress suddenly asked. "One of your guards said that you would send her a message."

"I already have," he said. "Though, I can send her another one; I wrote to her that I would try and make you stay with me until you arrived. It was only some hour ago that my messenger left. We should tell her that you are actually here."

Tigress nodded, agreeing with him. The wolverine clapped with his hands, and soon a servant came, holding a tray where a new scroll was lying.

Ju-long held out the scroll towards her. "Do you want to write or should I?"

"I can do it," Tigress answered quickly. She immediately started to write, though, she was having problems explaining it all. Her uncle's death… Her 'escape' from the Jade Palace…

"How did you meet my mother?" she asked, while keeping her eyes on the paper.

Ju-long sighed. "We heard about each other many years ago. Though, it was only about a month ago that she contacted me. I remembered her as 'the owl in the cave'. We talked about the problems and agreed to find a solution."

"I see," Tigress said slowly as she tried to pick the right words to write down.

"She has told me a lot about you," Ju-long said while leaning back in his chair. He brushed some invisible dust of his green and golden robe. "She is very proud."

Tigress looked up from the scroll. "She is?" she asked breathlessly. Even though her mother already had told her that, it was something different when a stranger told her it.

He nodded. "And I am impressed too."

Tigress murmured a happy sound and turned her glance back at the paper. And as she tried to write a proper message to her mother, she suddenly realized something important.

"Do yours scrolls already look like this?" she asked holding it up. It was, like a lot of other things she had seen from here, green with a golden pattern.

Ju-long chuckled. "I see you have figured out my favorite colors. But yes; most of my things are having that pattern. My messages too. Why?"

"It's just… I have seen it before."

"Well, I believe your mother must have a lot of them at the palace. I have sent her a lot of messages lately," the wolverine told her.

But Tigress shook her head. "No…" she said. "It wasn't her. Do you… Do you know Master Tiger?"

"From the former Furious Five?" he asked her and she nodded. He tilted his head. "Why do you ask?"

Tigress glared at him. "Because I saw him holding one of your messages. Though, he said it was from his family. I now believe he was lying."

Ju-long sighed. "That is a long story." He suddenly clapped again, making Tigress flinch by the sound. Another servant came in, too holding a tray, though this one with filled with two cups. The wolverine smiled to her. "Do you want some tea while I'll tell you it all?"

Tigress nodded; it had been a long day. She received a cup and took a sip.

"You see," Ju-long began. "I was contacted by Master Tiger when he needed my help. And, just like your mother, we needed to discuss a lot before the deals were made. Unfortunately for him, you… Well, the accident happened before his plans were fully made."

"Plans?" Tigress asked. Why had Master Tiger, the good but annoying master, contacted a person like Ju-long?

"He, just like me actually, liked power. And when he felt like he had been tricked… Well, he felt like somebody had taken what was truly his. So, he just wanted it back."

"He was very angry…" Tigress muttered. "But what was it that he wanted?"

Ju-long smiled to her. "The Jade Palace, of course. He was very bitter when he told about how he had not become the Dragon Warrior; and how he rightfully was it."

"I thought he followed his master's orders…"

"Well, I can tell you, Tigress, that Master Tiger never forgave Shifu for letting the panda become the Dragon Warrior."

Tigress became silent; this was just too much. Had Tiger really been planning taking over the Jade Palace? Just like she and her mother had done?

It was very weird what could be hiding inside a person.

But would he really have done it? His own master…? Though, she kind of understood his feelings; she had too wanted the Dragon Warrior title.

And then she realized that Tiger had been just exactly like Tai Lung.

She drank the rest of her tea, hoping that it would take away her headache. Ju-long was watching her from his chair. "Have you finished your letter?" he asked her.

Tigress suddenly remembered the message to her mother, but her whole vision started to tilt when she looked down to try and spot it. In a second, Ju-long had gripped the scroll, holding it out in front of himself while reading it.

"Maybe I should finish it," he said, glancing at her. "You look really tired."

Tigress knew he was right. It felt like a pillow had been wrapped around her brain. Her thoughts were fuzzy and her eyes kept failing her. She was strangely dizzy and she was gasping after air.

But she had realized one thing.

This was not just being tired.

"The tea," she muttered but she was not sure if Ju-long could hear her. Tigress felt herself falling from the chair, landing on the floor on her knees.

She could barely see Yu-long still sitting in his chair, watching her with an amused smile.

"You really should rest," the wolverine said. "When you wake up I am sure your dear mother will be here."

He watched as Tigress finally closed her eyes and fell completely to the floor. Ju-long then walked closer, looking down to take a better look on his new prisoner. With his right foot, he lifted up her chin, just to be sure.

But the tiger was sleeping deeply; just as he had planned.

Just a bit of his little 'tea' four times a day, and she would be the new Sleeping Beauty.

Though, Fenghuang would not be pleased. But when had he ever seen the owl truly happy?

He wanted the Jade Palace. She had it.

And, the only thing the owl loved more than her new power was, of course, her own daughter.

The whole thing was actually pretty simple.

Now he just wished that she would see it in that way too. That would help a lot. He did not want to make enemies; he just wanted to make the best deals.

And this was the way of doing it.

No matter how strong Fenghuang seemed to be, he could control her by doing this. The steel hard owl had grown soft; all because of a little cub.

Ju-long chuckled as he once again reminded himself of never having children. It would just destroy him.

Exactly like it had done with Fenghuang.

A shame, truly. She was indeed a skillful woman; a mighty warrior. Maybe they could have worked together…

But she was too stubborn.

Besides; now he had the chance to get the Jade Palace. Finally, China would hear who he was.

And he would have the power.

Funny how he could get all that by only capturing one little tiger.

But he knew he would face Fenghuang's anger. She would soon know that he had killed her little… Friend.

Ju-long was not looking forward to that.

Two guards came in and grabbed the unconscious tiger by the arms; they knew exactly what to do. He had planned it all perfectly.

The wolverine watched as they took the tiger out of the room.

Figuring out that Fenghuang would be here as soon as she could, Ju-long too left the room.

He would need some more guards.

* * *

A/N: And here it is! Hope you liked it!

Remember to check out my new story 'Stripes of a Tiger'!

Thank you so much for the many reviews, guys! It truly meant a lot! So, please; continue doing that; I love to hear your thoughts!


	22. Princess

A/N: So… Guys… I know the reviews have fallen a bit, but I have faith in that it soon will turn the other way around. Why? Because I know this story's epic plot… Just wait and see, guys. Wait and see…

I miss Yun-qi. Sigh.

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Princess **

Fenghuang was furious. Absolutely furious! It was only because she did not want the situation to get worse for Tigress that she did not kill the first guards she met.

"Out of my way!" she hissed dangerously, and the animals quickly did what she said. No way that they were going against her orders right now.

They opened the front gate for her, only hesitating a second. As many other guards from inside the hall suddenly surrounded her, the owl did not even glance at them. She just continued her storming walk, and sure enough, those in front of her jumped away when she came too close.

Remembering where Ju-long had been the last time she had been here, Fenghuang forcefully opened the door before anyone could stop her.

Her purple eyes narrowed when she saw the wolverine sitting on one of his chairs. He quickly stood up when he saw her, smiling slightly.

"Fenghuang…"

"Where is she?!" Fenghuang yelled, rushing towards him. She only stopped when their bodies were an inch from each other, and she then held up a wing, her sharp feathers almost touching his throat. "Where is she?" she asked again, more slowly this time.

The wolverine just stared at her. "What about we talk about this when you are calm?"

If an owl could roar, Fenghuang would have. She put her face close to his. "Believe me; I can get more angry."

He chuckled nervously. "I know you can, Fenghuang, but we would not want that, would we?" Ju-long said while smiling.

Hissing, the owl suddenly let go of him. He landed on two legs, looking up at her. "No need to be rude. Or harsh, for that sake."

"I am tired of you, Ju-long," Fenghuang told him, truth in every word. "And I want my daughter."

"And that is why you are here," the wolverine told her, walking around her.

The owl glared at him. "Give. Me. My. Daughter."

"So inpatient," Ju-long scolded her. In the next second he found himself in the other end of the room as the owl had kicked him so hard that he nearly flew.

Fenghuang slowly walked closer. "I am not kidding, Ju-long."

"When are you ever kidding, Fenghuang?" he asked her while getting up.

"Tell me one good reason to why I should not use one of the Impossible Moves on you!" Fenghuang threatened him, her anger getting bigger and bigger. Why did the wolverine always have to be so calm?

Ju-long let out a laughter as if she was telling him about a fun episode that had happened long time ago. "Because I have your daughter, of course."

Fenghuang snickered. "That is one of the reasons why I should do it."

"And because I have ten guards surrounding her, and they all have a sword ready if it happens that they have to hurt the tiger."

The owl's eyes narrowed, but then took a step away from the wolverine.

Ju-long smiled when he saw how she was slowly doing what she was saying. "That's good. Now we can talk like normal people."

"You are not normal, Ju-long," Fenghuang told him. "You are mad."

He chuckled again. "Says the person that killed Master Shifu. Or wait; you didn't."

Fenghuang widened her eyes slightly, and he caught her glance.

"I have my spies," he explained. "And they are good."

Taking in a deep breath, Fenghuang calmed herself down. Or, at least she tried. "You want to make deals?" she asked him slowly.

"So you did read the whole letter," Ju-long smiled. "And yes; that is what I want."

"First I want to see her; Tigress," Fenghuang told him sternly. She wanted to make sure that the tiger was alright. How was this wolverine keeping her here? If he had hurt her…

Sighing, Ju-long said, "Very well then. But you can first take her with you home when the deals have been made."

Eyeing him, Fenghuang said, "Fine."

"Then follow me," the wolverine said and they both left the room. As they walked through numerous hallways, Ju-long then said, "I hope you will forgive me one day, Fenghuang."

"Because you tricked me and threatened my daughter?!"

"Yes. And of course the whole thing about your lynx friend."

Fenghuang froze, unable to move. "Yun-qi?"

"Yes, that would be his name."

The owl stared at the wall. "What did you do?"

"He got in our way as we tried to take the tiger," Ju-long calmly explained. In the next second he was pinned against the wall.

One of the many guards saw it and took a step closer, but did not go between the wolverine and the owl.

Fenghuang was furious. Not only at Ju-long but also at herself. She had let this happen…

And now her friend was dead.

* * *

_She landed in front of him with amazing grace. "Hand the stuff back, thief." _

_The lynx rolled his eyes. "Sure. Just a minute; I think I have lost my brain somewhere. Found it! And nope; not gonna happen." _

_Fenghuang glared at him, not finding what she saw impressive. "Are you really challenging me?" _

"_Uhmm… Who are you again?" _

_She truly hoped he was kidding. _

_Fenghuang raised her head. "I am Master Fenghuang of the Jade Palace." _

"_Ahh…" the lynx said as if he remembered it. "That's the big shiny house, isn't it?" _

_Raising an eyebrow, Fenghuang tried to figure him out. But the lynx just glared at her with a charming smile. _

"_Last chance, thief," she then said, pulling herself together. _

"_Come on! No mercy for a poor and starved soul?" _

"_Just hand back the jewelry," she said as if she was tired. Which, she actually was. It had been a long day and she was in no mood to discuss with a thief. _

_The lynx widened his eyes. "Jewelry? I think you got the wrong thief then, Fenghy… I forgot your name. It's awful long." _

_Sighing she said, "What do you mean?" _

"_I mean your name involves too many letters-" _

"_I meant about the fact that you apparently isn't the right thief," she said. _

"_Uhm…" _

_Fenghuang got inpatient, and, to spare time, just ripped the bag away from him. "Hey!" he yelled, jumping after her. "That's mine!" _

_But the owl just emptied the bag, and the stuff fell down on the ground. "Bread?" she asked, staring at it. _

"_And some apples," the lynx quickly added. _

"_But bread?!" _

"_And some apples!" _

"_Why are you…?" Before she could finish, it started raining. Heavily. Trying to shake the water of her wings, she exclaimed, "Just great!" _

_The lynx tilted his head while looking at her. "Bad day, huh?" _

_She glared at him. "You have no idea." _

"_So," he started, while brushing some raindrops of his forehead. "What about letting a poor thief go with his food so he can survive, while you can go back to your palace and out of the rain?" _

_She thought about it. Yes, she was tired. And yes, she did not want to do this right now. Besides; he was not the right thief; he just needed some food. _

_Oogway would never find out about this. _

"_Fine," she said. "But this will be the only time I will let you go." _

_He grinned. "Of course it is." _

_The lynx then scooped his bread into the bag and then turned around to disappear into the forest. Fenghuang flew back to the palace and took a deserved nap. _

_One month later she had been forced to leave the Jade Palace. _

* * *

Fenghuang's eyes narrowed as she remembered how she had saved him. But he had also saved her…

* * *

"_So… Is anybody home?" a voice called. Fenghuang opened her eyes, and she was shocked. Who was here? Had they found her? _

_Oogway and the others… Did she have to fight again? She was tired… And alone and cold. She had not gotten used to live in the cave yet… It was only some days ago since she had left the palace. _

"_Who's there?!" she asked urgently, making her sharp feathers ready in case she had to fight someone. _

_But the stranger stepped closer towards her. "Nice place," he said looking around. "Real… Comfy." _

"_Who are you?" _

"_Really? You don't remember me?" he asked her. _

"_Listen; if Oogway sent you then-?" _

_The lynx looked confused. "Oogway? The old turtle? Why should he send me? No, no, no. I am a thief! Actually, I am that thief you let go some time ago." _

_Fenghuang stared at him, briefly remembering the episode. _

"_Here," he suddenly said and threw his bag towards her. After some seconds hesitating, the owl opened. It was filled with bread. _

"_Why?" she asked, looking up. _

"_Because I don't think you can find bread on a mountain," he answered flatly. "And now we are even." _

_Fenghuang looked suspiciously at him. "Thanks," she then muttered and turned her back to him. She did need food now… So she was going to keep this. _

"_So you are the big rebel, huh?" he asked her as he remained in the cave. _

"_You could say that." _

"_So we are both in the same situation." _

"_Not really." _

"_But kinda," he tried again. "And I thought you might need some help." _

_Sighing, she faced him again. "Why are you doing this?" _

"_Because I need a shelter for when I am travelling the mountains and you need someone to bring you stuff from the village. So…" He held out a hand. "What about a deal? You help me, I help you." _

_She just stared at him. _

_He looked over his shoulder, seeing the rain that was dripping down outside the cave. "It sure is cold out there. It would be such a shame if I had to sleep in that…" _

"_Fine," Fenghuang then said. "We have a deal." She then quickly shook his hand. _

"_Great!" the lynx grinned. "So where can I put my stuff? Just kidding; I don't have any stuff!" _

_Fenghuang sighed; he was now the only person she could talk with and then he was like that?! She guessed she just had to get used to him. _

_The lynx picked up some bread. "Can we share?" he asked her. "I am starving!" _

_She shrugged. "If you want." _

_He looked at her. "Come on! Admit; you like my company!" _

_It was kind of true. Since Oogway had attacked her she had not talked with anyone. Even though this lynx was irritating, she might end up being good friends with him. _

"_I'm Yun-qi by the way," he suddenly told her. _

"_Fenghuang." _

"_I know that." _

"_Then remember it this time." _

* * *

Fenghuang let out a strangled scream of anger. Ju-long looked at her with widened eyes, clearly understanding how serious his situation was.

Just as she was about to shove her wing into him, he spoke, "Remember what I have, Fenghuang. And how easily it can be destroyed."

The owl looked like he could bit his head off, but quickly let him go. She had been too late to save her friend… But she still had the chance to save Tigress.

"You rat," she told him and then looked away. She just wanted to get her daughter out as quick as possible.

Ju-long rose from the ground and brushed some dust of his robe. "Remember to be gentle, Fenghuang," he reminded her. "If I am satisfied with you when we make the deals you and your daughter might stay in the Jade Palace. Of course, with me as your leader. But if I am mad… Then you might need to find a new cave to hide in."

Fenghuang glared at him but said nothing. The wolverine started walking again and she followed him. Finally they reached the right room. Ju-long opened the door. "And here we are."

The owl immediately stepped inside and the first thing she saw was her daughter. "Tigress."

The tiger was lying on what looked like a table completely made of rock. A chain was around her left foot and was stuck into the rock.

And Tigress… She was fully asleep.

"What have you done?" Fenghuang angrily asked the wolverine beside her.

Ju-long grinned. "Just some of my special tea; it will bring her no harm."

Fenghuang stepped forward to get closer to her daughter, but froze when the guards that surrounded the tiger suddenly showed her their swords.

If she came to close they would not hesitate with using them.

But not on her; on defenseless Tigress.

If she had not hated Ju-long before she definitely did now. "Let me daughter go," she hissed at him while turning towards him.

He shook his head. "Not yet, my dear. The deals first; then you can have your daughter."

Fenghuang's wing almost shook as the only thing she wanted was to kill this wolverine. He had been smarter than her the whole time.

She had contacted him because she knew that the masters would attack the Jade Palace; and there was no way that she and her daughter would be able to defeat the council. Ju-long had promised to help, but of course his help would come with a price.

He wanted money and some of the artifacts. But he also loved power, and that was what they had spent a lot of time discussing. How much would he control when the masters no longer would be a problem.

But apparently Ju-long had wanted to make all the decision himself.

And now she could only do what he told her to do.

If just Tigress had not left to go to the mountain… Or if she just had stayed with her.

When all this was over, she would never leave her daughter out of sight again.

Fenghuang glanced at Tigress again. She looked so peaceful while sleeping. Even wearing an innocent smile… It brought back some memories from when Tigress just had been a cub.

Life had been so simple at that time. Now everything was complicated.

Fenghuang just wanted a solution to all of this.

But if she tried freeing Tigress, those guards would reach the tiger before her. She just was not that fast.

She had to save her daughter another way.

Turning towards Ju-long, she said, "Then let's make some deals."

* * *

A/N: THANK YOU! We have now reached 50 favorites! That's amazing, guys! Let's celebrate it with a party! It's party time! I never thought it would be so popular! I mean, at first I thought you would hate the idea so much that I would have to delete it!

Sorry for the wait; I have been so sick that I didn't have the strength to write (that is when you know that I am sick).

Please review! Tell me your thoughts; are you missing Yun-qi too (because I am)? Do you like the OC's? Do you like the way I make Tigress and Fenghuang? What do you think will happen? Please tell me! It would make me so happy.

Party time!


	23. From The Embers

A/N: And I am back! And I just watched the whole new episode about Fenghuang in tv (for some reason why can see them in DK before it got aired the first time in USA. Don't ask me why). So I am so inspired! Be ready to a lot of shocking chapters in the future!

One of you asked, and even though I answered through a pm, I thought you all should know it; the last chapter was named 'Princess' mainly because the whole chapter was an honor to Yun-qi. But the word princess was what he called Tigress even though she does not look like one, so the chapter was also named that because it was about who you truly are on the inside.

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, From The Embers **

Fenghuang remained standing as he sat down. She glared at him suspiciously; she did not like this. But what choice did she have? As any other loving mother, she was just taking care of her child.

But her head was busy with making plans. If Ju-long let them go, then they might be able to stay in the Jade Palace. But she did not want her daughter to be near that wolverine anymore.

No, when they came out of here, then they would leave to another place. Another mountain probably. But where?

And when the time was right, then she would come back. Fenghuang glanced at Ju-long. And when she returned, then she would shove her wing into his back.

She looked forward to that.

But she could not let the wolverine know that. If only he did not have all those guards… Then he would be vulnerable. But Ju-long's family had always been rich, and the wolverine used his fortune well.

People would do everything for money. Ju-long knew all about that, and he did also share that feeling with all his guards. Even though he had a lot he always wanted more.

And that was why he had even looked at Fenghuang.

Honestly, the owl did not care about money. She liked power and fame. When Oogway had fought her and she had lost… She had lost _everything_!

Her home! Her friends! Her reputation!

The only thing she had had was the old, cold cave and loneliness when Yun-qi had been out travelling. All because she had been too weak.

It was so ironic, actually.

She had told Tigress it had been because she had been too strong.

But the truth was that she had not been able to defeat Oogway. She had not been strong enough.

And now she had been the one causing all this mess.

"You sure are in problems, Fenghuang," Ju-long told her as if he could read her thoughts.

"Let's just make those deals," she said again sharply.

But the wolverine shook his head. "I did not just talk about me. You have actually created problems for both of us."

"Excuse me?"

"Why did you let Shifu live?" he then asked her. "My dear Fenghuang, I knew the kid was affecting you but I did not know that you had become that soft."

Fenghuang turned her back towards him, only seeing all the guards that were standing by each door that led out of the room. Those warriors were not extremely skilled, but they were many. And that was a problem.

"I am not soft," she hissed with a voice as cold as ice.

"You had the chance of killing him, the man you have spent years hating, and then you decide to let him live. And why? Because you want to save your poor daughter's soul."

"Don't be foolish," she hissed. "Tigress has already killed-"

"Master Tiger, if I am correct. You know, he was busy contacting me," Ju-long told her.

The owl raised an eyebrow. "You knew him? Of course you did; your claws are everywhere!"

"He reminds me a lot of you, actually," the wolverine told her. "Both wanting the Jade Palace, both hungry after power…"

"He's dead; I am not. Besides Tigress defeated him; he was weak."

"And you are not?" Ju-long dared to ask her. "Honestly, Fenghuang, do you know what you have started by letting Shifu live?"

"How many spies do you have?"

"Plenty enough to know that Shifu and his students have escaped."

The owl froze. "What?" she asked him hoarsely.

"Your daughter made a mistake too, and Shifu used it to get away. Now he is gathering the rest of the Masters to take you down when you return." He smiled slyly. "Face it, Fenghuang, no matter how much you hate me, you need me to help you now."

The owl forced herself to remain calm. "We have defeated them before-"

"Please, Fenghuang; you did not defeat Oogway nor will you be able to defeat the whole Masters Council." He leaned back in his chair. "And, after what I have heard, they still have that owl-shaped cage."

It was like something inside of her snapped.

* * *

"_Fenghuang," the old turtle said softly. "I see you have come to fight me." _

_She tilted her head. "Only if you won't step aside." As he did not answer to that, she repeated, "Step aside, Oogway." _

"_And this is what you want?" he asked her. "The Jade Palace? Or the title?" _

"_I deserve more than being a student," she hissed. "I've stronger than all of you. There is nothing more you can teach me." _

"_Power is not the only thing you learn as a warrior." _

"_It's the only important thing," she snickered. "Now give up or-" _

"_You'll have to fight me? Fenghuang, is power truly what you want?" _

"_I have power." She glared at him. "I am strong. But it seems like you are too weak to fight me." _

"_I do now wish to fight a student." _

_She placed herself in a battle stance. "I am not longer your student." _

"_I guess that you have made your choice," Oogway told her. _

* * *

The title had been hers. She deserved it. She was the strongest. She deserved to be the master.

She had given him the chance to back down.

They had all betrayed her.

* * *

_And then he revealed it to her. The cage… _

_Built just for her. _

_She should feel proud. _

_This showed her how much they feared her. They wanted to lock her up and throw the key away. _

_To forget about her, to ignore her. _

_But no. She would not let them have that satisfaction. _

_So she leapt at Oogway. She punched, she kicked, she clawed. She blocked when she could but he managed to hurt her a lot of times. A little flame of happiness lit inside of her every time she managed to land a blow on him. _

_Oogway was good. No reason to deny that. _

_But she could do this. _

_In the end they both became tired, eyeing each other. So he wanted to put her in there? The ugly cage? _

_Well, she would rather die. _

_And that was when the others entered the scene. For a short second, Fenghuang allowed herself to hope that they might was here to help here. _

_They were not. _

_They were here to help Oogway defeating her. _

_Now? After everything she had done for them? She had saved their lives many times as they fought together. She had lied when she knew Oogway would punish them if he found out; whenever they had broken some of the many rules to have some fun. _

_She had been their friend. _

_And now it was over. _

_But she would not let them put her in the cage. They would not get the chance to laugh at her while she could only stare. _

_She would do perfectly fine without them._

_And so she spread out her wings and fled into the sky, leaving everything she knew behind her._

* * *

The cage… They still had it? Honestly, she was impressed. They must really fear her. They really still had it? Wow. Time flies fast.

No reason to worry; she would never have to be close to it. Never again.

Unless, of course… Ju-long was right when it came to the masters.

Even though both she and Tigress were strong warriors, they still had their limits. Fenghuang's eyes narrowed as she realized she soon would have to flee again.

To hide again.

"What do you want?" she asked him.

"The Jade Palace, "Ju-long answered simply.

Trying to figure him out, she asked, "And then you'll have to face the masters? Please, Ju-long, you are not a warrior."

"No, I am not." He rose from the chair to look at her. "You are," he told her. "And so is Tigress. That is why I want you both to stay."

She walked closer. "And you believe that I would want _my _daughter to be near _you_? After you have threatened her life? Which kind of mother do you think I am?!"

"The soft one, of course," he grinned. "Admit it, Fenghuang; the tiger changed you."

"She did," she said sternly. "But not to the worse."

"Of course _you _would say that. But think about it; have you gotten stronger ever since you got her? Because I would believe it is all going to wrong way. Seriously, Fenghuang, a daughter? Are you trying to ruin both of you?"

"I have no idea of what you are talking about," the owl said. "And leave Tigress out of the conversation."

Ju-long glared at her, and for the first time anger could be seen in his eyes. "That _cub _has destroyed you. You were the greatest warrior ever; they never stopped fearing you. Then you, for some reason I simple do not understand, decide to adopt some tiger girl? Why?"

Fenghuang remained quiet, her back facing the wolverine.

He chuckled slightly. "I am actually demanding an answer, Fenghuang. And you are in no place to go against my orders. So what made the great phoenix to care for a child?"

"You think you would understand?"

"That's not an answer," he said in a singing voice. By the way he was glaring at her, it was clear that he knew he was the one with the power. He was the one who decided what she should do.

Fenghuang sighed mentally; she hated receiving orders.

She turned her way the whole way around to look at him. "Have you ever cared about someone, Ju-long?"

He grinned. "Not for as long as I remember."

"Then you will not understand how it is to have a child."

He laughed again. "I am not that good when it comes to changing diapers."

Fenghuang let her body follow her head and then walked towards the wolverine. "We are not here to talk about Tigress. We are here to fulfill your wishes."

"Exactly," Ju-long said while smiling. He then showed her a large piece of paper. While she read, he explained, "Sign it, and you have agreed to give me the title as the' Master of the Jade Palace', you give me the right to rule the palace and the Valley of Peace, that you will work for me and that you will not ever harm me."

"Explain 'harm'," Fenghuang huffed, glaring at the wolverine.

"It means that no matter how much you hate me, Fenghuang, you will be my servant and you w_ill _do what I say," he told her while holding out the paper. "Sign it, promise it, and you will get back your beloved daughter."

Fenghuang made herself ready to sign, but continued glaring at her enemy. "And what is Tigress' role in all of this?"

"That is up to you. Give her to Shifu, hide her in a hidden room, let her be a servant along with you, send her away into the big, cruel world… It is your choice, Fenghuang," he told her.

Fenghuang thought about it. She wanted Tigress to be safe. Even though she did not want her daughter to have a life as a servant, she did not want to let her go. She could not.

Tigress belonged with her. If they became separated, Tigress would not know what to do. She would try and find her… And then they were back to where they started.

But first she just needed to get her daughter out of here. That was her plan. For now.

One thing was sure; she would not give her to Shifu. Fenghuang's face became grim in disgust. That was not going to happen.

The foot she had lifted to sign the letter became brought down, and in a few moments her name had been written. Ju-long smiled in satisfaction.

He held out his paw. "So can we forget this whole ugly episode, Fenghuang? Bring back some peace?"

She glared at him but remained unmoving.

Finally, Ju-long gave up and let his paw fall. He scowled. "Well, someone is not in a happy mood."

"Now keep your part of the deal," Fenghuang calmly told her, folding her wings against her sides.

"Oh, right. Your _daughter_," he spat, but started walking. The guards opened the doors for them. "She sure doesn't look like she has come from an egg."

"It's called adoption, Ju-long."

"You might want to know that the lynx told her the whole truth about you before we found them," Ju-long suddenly told her.

Something inside of Fenghuang froze when Yun-qi was mentioned. Then she understood fully what he had just told her.

"You look worried," Ju-long told her. "What's wrong? Don't want the kitten to know the truth?"

"You'll stay out of this," she warned him.

"I am just trying to help you; she was very confused when we found her. Very… sad. I am sure she felt betrayed."

So close… His neck was so close. Easy to cut if she wanted. Fenghuang was nearly shaking of anger, but she remembered two things; Tigress and the contract. Both things kept her away from attacking.

The last door became opened, and Fenghuang could now see the sleeping tiger again. Ju-long held up a paw and all the guards took one step backwards.

"When will she wake?" Fenghuang asked, not removing her eyes from Tigress as she gently stroked the sleeping tiger's cheek. It felt great being near her again; it was like she could breathe normally again.

"I guess some hours from now," Ju-long said, staring at the child and its parent. "But no need to rush out of here, Fenghuang. You can both stay until you feel you are ready."

The owl thought for herself that the wolverine must be crazy to think that she wanted to stay here, but did not say the thought out loud.

Suddenly, Ju-long's paw went inside his robe and came out with a little key. "As I promised," he said softly and went towards the chain that was around the tiger's foot.

It only took some seconds, then the chain fell to the ground. "See? I keep my promises," he told her softly, but the owl did not move.

Instead she remained frozen, but her eyes moved around rapidly. She had to make a choice, and she had to do it now.

"Fenghuang," Ju-long growled. "Don't you dare…"

"You really thought threatening my daughter was a good idea?" the owl asked him with a voice so low that it only could mean one thing; danger.

"We had a deal," he warned her. "You better keep it."

Fenghuang suddenly turned around, wings spread in a try to block her daughter from his vision. "I am not a servant," she hissed. "And neither is Tigress."

The next second all the guards had their weapons pointing at her- and Tigress. Fenghuang glared at them, hoping that her wings had been long enough the cover Tigress completely. But now was the time to fight, and she did not only have to protect herself, but her daughter too.

Tigress murmured softly in her forced sleep, unaware of the danger she and her mother were in.

Fenghuang sent Ju-long a challenging glance; she was the strongest of them. He had harmed her family and he was not going to get away with that.

Taking in a deep breath, Fenghuang allowed herself to smile slightly. There was a reason why the Jade Palace had kept fearing her.

Now she was going to show him the reason why.

She was Fenghuang, the banished master. She was stronger than all of them.

It felt great to be back.

As the guards leapt at them, Fenghuang let out a battle scream.

* * *

A/N: And I end it here, just to be mean.

Well, I feel like I should warn you. I've never cried while writing (not even when Yun-qi died), but I think the next chapter is going to break my heart… Seriously, I think I'll cry. Sigh. So now I am just making you all nervous. Sorry; I'll try and update soon.

So yeah; as some of you might now, my premiere has premiere in a week, and I have a big assignment for my school, so if you won't see a lot of me, you now know why. And I just bought a new hat! (I love hats!)

Please review to tell me your thoughts!


	24. Goodbye May Seem Forever

A/N: Yeah… I simply just don't what to write to each story, so I just decided to make some more to Spread Your Wings. Sigh. Though, I have been looking forward to write this chapter for a long time now.

Thanks to 'NJ7009' and 'Timbit the Lynx-Angel' for helping me with the new Impossible Move.

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Goodbye May Seem Forever **

An arrow flew through the air but Fenghuang blocked it by using her wings. Flying slightly, she spun around so fast that the enemies were pushed aside. One of them, a wolf, rushed quickly forwards, sword aiming at Tigress.

Fenghuang grabbed his hand with her talon, and with a quick movement, she broke his wrist. He cried out in pain, dropping his weapon. Hearing the sound of a fired arrow behind her, the owl turned her body around, not removing her glance from Ju-long. Without even looking, she deflected the arrow.

"Give up," she snarled, but he shook his head.

"The whole fortress is filled with guards, and you think you can get away? That she," he pointed at the sleeping Tigress, "will survive?"

Fenghuang flew towards him, but an antelope had stepped in front of him. Stopping her flying to avoid the spear, the owl glared at them both. "Rat," she told him again.

"Cub," he said, causing her to widen her eyes as he smiled slyly. She quickly turned around, to see to guards sneaking up on her child.

Anger filling her, she shrieked again and spread out her wings. Her deadly sharp feathers cut them, and they both fell to the ground with a strangled gasp, bleeding. That was when Fenghuang noticed that Ju-long was no longer in the room.

Eyes narrowing, she quickly flew around in the little cell, taking out the remaining guards. Some were killed by her wings, some just so badly injured that they could not stand again. Now was the time for her to show her anger.

Sending Tigress a last soft glance, she left the room, smacking the door closed behind her. She would not let anyone enter until her revenge was fulfilled.

Ju-long was not going to get away. She would not allow him to do that. He would get what he deserved.

In the same moment she left the cell, ten guards ran towards her from the other end of the hallway. She faced them with a stern expression. "Back off, kids."

They just growled or snarled. Not even waiting for them to reach her, Fenghuang flew towards them, knocking them to the ground. Grabbing one of them, a lynx, by the shirt she twirled him around to knock the others out. It worked, and then she continued her run for the wolverine.

The owl flew so fast that she destroyed the big doors when she hit them with her body. They fell to the ground, revealing her for the enemies that were waiting in the big hall.

"Get her!" they yelled, and Fenghuang calmed herself. This was way too easy. They were no masters, just guards. Guards who now had to suffer the consequences.

And they had chosen it themselves because of stupid money.

Fenghuang had been showing mercy the most of her life. She did not kill the travelers that had been on the mountain; on the other hand she had not cared if an accident happened to them. But she had never killed one.

And Shifu… She had not killed him either. She remembered when she understood that her own daughter had killed someone.

It had felt strange.

Fenghuang had taught the tiger how to kill. She had been her teacher.

But she had not been happy or proud when Tigress had defeated her enemy on that way. Something had been wrong about it. She knew that Tigress had done it in defense and that her daughter actually had been close to death in that fight.

It scared her.

But the feeling that her daughter now was a murderer felt wrong. Innocent Tigress... The child would never be a murderer in the owl's eyes. But it was different with everybody else.

It was like it had been declared; Tigress was now evil. She killed someone. She was a threat.

If Fenghuang did not look after her, then things could end badly. They would punish the tiger… But the owl was still there. And she would protect her child. That was her duty.

As a mother, it was her duty.

But right now, the owl had no mercy. She killed when they came to close. She spun around, flew, jumped, kicked, punched… Graceful as her name; graceful as a phoenix.

They never had a changed. Even when even more guards arrived, surrounding her, she did not panic. Instead, she did something she had not done in a long time.

She used one of the Impossible Moves.

The Lightning Delusion.

Flying higher and higher, until she almost touched the ceiling, Fenghuang started to make a circle around the many warriors. Faster and fast, until they were all pushed into the middle. But Fenghuang did not stop.

Instead, the owl continued flying in such a speed that the guards could not do anything but watched. When she finally stopped, they were shocked.

"You challenged me."

When they looked around, they were surrounded by owls. The same owl, but she was everywhere. It was like the hall was filled of Fenghuang's clones. Together they created the circle, all looking down at them as they all remained three meters in the air.

Fenghuang smiled; this was the funny part. She had now confused their eyes so much, that they no longer could see what was real. She was just everywhere.

"Now I win."

All the owls flew down, towards them, and in a flash all the guards were knocked unconscious. Fenghuang smiled; it felt good to use one of the moves again.

It made her feel even more powerful. But where was Ju-long?

Now she had defeated his guards. He still needed to be punished.

And then she left the now quiet hall, ready to find the wolverine.

"Ju-long," she thundered. "You coward!"

"Watch your words, Fenghuang," the wolverine snarled as he stepped out of the shadows.

Before he could react, she had him pinned against the wall, her foot on his chest. "You made me angry," she hissed. "That was a mistake."

"You need me," he gasped out as it was getting harder to breathe. "You know it too, Fenghuang. When the Masters find you, you and your daughter will be defeated, locked up, maybe killed."

"I just defeated all your guards. You are no longer a threat. I am the strongest. Why should I fear them?" she asked him.

Ju-long glared at her. "Because together they are stronger than you." He tried to take in a deep breath, but failed. "Don't you see it, Fenghuang? The Jade Palace is no longer yours. It could have been, if you had kept the deal, but now none of us have it. _They_ have taken it back, and now you need to find a new cave."

The owl narrowed her purple eyes. What he said was right; she had to admit that.

"You are getting old, Fenghuang," he then told her, but groaned in pain as she tightened her grip. "Death will come eventually. We all know that. And when that happens to you, then who will take care of your daughter?"

She froze, and he saw her weakness.

"She will be all alone," he continued.

Fenghuang then shook her head to pull herself together. "Good thing I am not planning on dying then," she snarled.

"We could have made a wonderful team," he said quietly.

"We could. Until you decided to hurt me daughter."

"I did no harm to her," he protested. "I barely touched her!"

The owl leaned her face close to his. "You have caused my family pain."

"'Family', Fenghuang? Since when did you get one of those? After what I have heard, your own mother rejected you after the little confrontation with Oogway," he taunted her.

"You know nothing," she hissed and then removed him from the wall, just holding her with her claws.

He glared at her, though there was no panic in his eyes. "Are you going to kill me?" he asked her. "_Me_? When you couldn't even kill Shifu?"

But Fenghuang did not answer. She glared at him, and then she threw him into the air.

The owl quickly spun around, and when she was facing him again, a big green bowl of energy came from her wings. It hit Ju-long, who was still in the air, and in the next second he was sent through the walls; a high groan of pain could be hurt.

Fenghuang did not even check up on him; the Thundering Wind Hammer should have sent him down of the mountain by now.

How she loved the Impossible Moves.

Ju-long was now completely defeated.

She just needed to get Tigress out of here… Tigress. Her purple eyes widening, Fenghuang turned around to fly back to the cell. She came by the defeated warriors, but did not stop to look at them.

When she finally came back, her heart skipped a beat when she saw that the door that led towards Tigress had been opened. She had closed it when she had left…

Entering the cell, Fenghuang froze, just for a second, when she saw the guard that was standing near the tiger, holding up a sword that was ready to be brought down.

* * *

"Master Shifu," Po asked him. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

The red panda sent him a sharp glance. "Yes, Po. Fenghuang needs to be stopped."

"Sure, but… All this?" the panda asked him as he looked at the many warriors. On their way away from the palace, they had met Master Ox and Master Croc, who had brought them a lot of warriors. They told them, that since they rescued Gongmen City, it their duty to save the Valley of Peace.

And since it had been Shifu's plan to find the Masters, everything was going perfectly. Both Fenghuang and Tigress had been gone when they had escaped but they did not doubt that they would come back.

But then they would attack. Shifu had even told the warriors where the old cage for Fenghuang where; now they could easily find it when they returned.

Now they were all on their way back to the Valley of Peace, making themselves ready for the big battle. Even though the warriors of the Jade Palace were still weak after the time they had spent in the dungeon, they all wanted to fight the owl.

They wanted to show that they could do it.

"Fenghuang is powerful," Shifu told his student while they walked. "And we need to be sure she will not defeat us again."

Then the master walked faster, as he wanted to share a word with Ox and Croc.

Viper had seen the panda trying to talk with their master, and now slithered towards her friend. "I know what you are thinking, Po," she said quietly.

"It just doesn't… feel right," he admitted. Po then suddenly changed subject, "Do you think the village is okay? I mean, she must have been really mad when she found out that we escaped."

"They are fine," Viper told him. "I talked with some gooses that work as spies. They said Fenghuang hasn't even returned yet."

"And Tigress?"

"Still gone. I guess we have to surprise them when they come back," the snake said softly.

Po thought about it. "What do you think they are doing?"

"I don't know. I never understood Fenghuang and Tigress was just… confused," Viper said but then looked at the sky. "But I think it is something bad."

"Come on; no way they are going to win this time!" Po exclaimed, glancing at all the warriors that would be helping them.

Viper smiled softly. "You are right, Po." In the distance they could see the mountains that were surrounding their home. "Tomorrow we'll arrive."

* * *

Fenghuang leapt forward desperately to save her daughter from the blade. In the last second she smashed directly into the mountain cat and quickly kicked him in the head so hard that he smashed against the nearby wall.

She heard Tigress murmur something in her sleep, and when she saw the blood coming from her daughter she suddenly felt tired. Like she first realized now how much it had taken to destroy Ju-long.

Tigress' left side was bloody, and with a gentle wing Fenghuang lifted up the tiger's purple vest. Even though the cut had not been deadly, it had still caused her daughter a big wound. Fenghuang scolded herself; she should have been faster.

Her daughter was hurt.

And something told her it was not just psychically.

"Tigress," she called, but received no answer. "Tigress?" But the tiger remained asleep. Remembering what Ju-long had told her, Fenghuang figured out that there would go some hours before her daughter would be able to wake up.

Looking at the wound, Fenghuang decided to bandage it. Since she had nothing on her to fix an injury and did not know where Ju-long kept that healing stuff, Fenghuang walked over to the unconscious guard. She did not have the time to search through the fortress, and after her attack, she was starting to wonder how long time it would take before some of the walls would collapse.

She just wanted to get out of here.

Tearing a long piece from the mountain cat's shirt, the owl tied it around Tigress' wound. It was not exactly the best thing, but it would stop the bleeding. She needed something to clean it up when they came home…

The Jade Palace.

They had to return before the Masters would. Then she could take care of Tigress and then flee if it became necessary.

But how was she going to do this? She tried to grab Tigress' shoulder, but did not want to make the tiger uncomfortable on the way home.

Looking up as she heard some noises that said that they needed to get out of here as quick as possible; the owl quickly left the room. She entered the hall where all the defeated guards lay; she remembered something.

A net. One of them had been holding a net, big enough to capture the owl. A shame she been too fast.

But sure enough; she found the net by the hands of a defeated lynx. Grabbing it, Fenghuang quickly returned back to her daughter. The owl spread out the big net on the floor and carefully placed her daughter on it.

Tigress smiled in her sleep and the word 'cub' entered Fenghuang's mind again. Making sure that Tigress would not fall out, the owl grabbed the corners of the net.

Some pieces of rock fell from the ceiling and Fenghuang understood that it was now that they should leave. Flying higher, Tigress and the net were lifted from the ground.

Looking down at her daughter, Fenghuang got them both out from the fortress, making sure that the net did not hit anything. As soon as they were outside, Fenghuang flew into the sky, happy to be out of that horrible place.

Tigress slept safely in the net she was carrying, and Fenghuang smiled softly.

They were safe. For now.

* * *

Her world tilted. Yelling out in panic, Tigress kicked with her legs trying to find a stable ground. When she could not, she felt like throwing up. What was happening?

In her misty universe she could hear a familiar voice calling her name. "Tigress."

Finally, as if she had been fighting against the sleep, the tiger managed to open her eyes. What she saw confused her, so she turned to lie on her stomach. When she saw the ground many, many meters below her, she gasped.

"It's okay," her mother said from above her. "We are flying."

Tigress now noticed the net under her paws; she could look through the meshes to see the clouds. "Mother?" she asked with a hoarse voice, not clearly aware of what was going on.

Sighing, Fenghuang told her, "You have been asleep for some time."

"I…" Then Tigress remembered. "Ju-long…"

"You don't have to worry about him," Fenghuang quickly said, and hold in a smile when she imagined the wolverine's frightened face again.

And then everything came back to Tigress. "I am so, so sorry," she gasped out, shaking as she realized what she had done. "I didn't know. I was stupid. It is my fault." The words came out quicker than she had thought them.

"We are aright, Tigress."

"Uncle," Tigress gasped out again, feeling sick. Sour tears tried to escape from her eyes. "It's my fault."

Trying to calm her daughter, Fenghuang said, "It is not. It was me who was stupid enough to trust Ju-long."

"I trusted him too."

"What is done is done. I fixed it; don't worry."

"Uncle…"

Taking in a deep breath, the owl told her, "Yun-qi is dead. We cannot change that. But he knew what he was doing, and now we can only honor his memory. And that is what we will do." She looked down again and saw the shaking tiger. "It was not your fault, Tigress."

But Tigress knew it was. She had been stupid enough to leave the palace and this was what had happened. "I am so stupid," she snarled at herself.

"You were shocked and confused. No one can blame you for acting like you did."

Tigress suddenly remembered why it was that she had been shocked and confused. "Mother?" she asked softly.

Fenghuang knew what she was going to ask. "I know what Yun-qi told you." She sighed. "Maybe we should first discuss it when we come home."

Tigress squinted to try and see where they were. "Valley of Peace?" she muttered.

"We are heading back. I need to take care of your wound."

"Wha-?" Ju-long's 'tea' was still making her drowsy and she could not feel the pain in her side. Though, she realized she had a wound when her paw touched the bandages. Resting her head against the net Tigress closed her eyes. "I found Shifu," she admitted with a voice full of shame. "That was why I ran away."

"I see."

"Why is he still alive?" Tigress asked her. "And why was it a secret?"

"I…" Fenghuang did not know what to answer.

Tigress sighed. "I thought you told me everything."

"I made a mistake," the owl admitted. "I made many. Tigress, I know it is hard to understand."

"I thought you trusted me."

"I do. I just… didn't think you would understand."

Tigress groaned, and Fenghuang noticed it. "Does it hurt?" she asked her.

"Just feeling sick," Tigress admitted.

"Then rest; I'll wake you when we arrive," Fenghuang said softly. The tiger soon let herself fall asleep; this time without being forced into it.

Fenghuang looked at the gray sky while they flew. "I'll take care of it," she muttered as she thought about their problems.

* * *

The owl smiled when she could see the palace in the distance. Finally they were home. The owl was hopelessly tired; she had not rested since she had left the fortress the first time. Plus, she had been involve in a big fight and had used two Impossible Moves.

To say it out loud; she was exhausted.

But Tigress was getting better. The real sleep would help her, and when they had both rested, they had to talk.

Fenghuang was not looking towards it. How could she explain something she did not even understand herself? It was just her life; her fight for power.

And then Tigress' place in all of it.

Fenghuang nearly dropped the net when the arrow flew past her. Eyes widening in shock, she understand that she had been too late.

Tigress woke by the sudden movement. "Mother?"

With her good eyes, Fenghuang now spotted Shifu standing outside the Jade Palace. Behind him were his five students.

And beside them were an ox and a croc. Even though Fenghuang had never met them, she knew who they were. Shifu had managed to gather the Masters.

And now only that; they had brought some warriors.

Not only 'some'; they had brought many.

Hissing, Fenghuang turned around when she saw two eagles flying straight towards her. "What should we do?" Tigress asked quickly, now fully awake.

Fenghuang did not answer. Instead she flew down, increasing her speed. When they were at the forest that surrounded the valley, Fenghuang let go of the net when they were close to the ground. As Tigress struggled to get out of it, Fenghuang flew up to take care of the birds that were following them.

Untangling herself by using her claws, Tigress was finally free. Suddenly, two eagles hit the ground beside her, knocked out, and her mother landed in front of her.

Tigress did not like the way the owl was panting. "Mother?"

Fenghuang glanced at the tiger who was sitting down, looking up on her with a tilted head. So confused by the whole scene… Not that you could blame her.

Tigress' world had been turned upside down and this was definitely not helping.

As Fenghuang watched her daughter, she started to realize it.

She could not defeat the Masters. She was tired, exhausted, and they were many.

And she could not flee either. Her wings felt like they were going to fall off and no matter where they would hide, some of the flying warriors would follow them.

Chorh-Gom was awaiting them. Fenghuang knew that.

An old memory returned to her.

* * *

"_Momma!" _

_Fenghuang woke up, slightly dazed as she was not used to be awakened in the middle of the night. But she knew where the voice belonged, and quickly blinked the sleep out of her eyes. "Tigress?" _

_The cub was in her corner, but something was wrong. She was shaking, gasping after air with big tears streaming down from her eyes. _

"_What is wrong?" the owl asked her, and was suddenly pulled into a shaking hug. Eyes widening in surprise, Fenghuang looked down to see the sobbing tiger with her striped eyes around her. Not knowing exactly what to do, Fenghuang stroked the back of the tiger's head. "Nightmare?" she asked, and the cub nodded. _

"_Bao Gu," she cried. "They… They locked me up again. And I couldn't break the door." She tried to brush away the tears, but they kept coming. The cub was obviously in panic. "I… I yelled… for you, but you didn't come. It was just dark." _

_Pulling the cub away from her, Fenghuang lowered her head to look her in the eyes. "I will be there," she promised. "I won't let them take you away." _

_The cub stared at her, tears starting to disappear. She sniffed. _

"_It won't happen," Fenghuang told her again. "They will never be able to lock you up again; because I will not allow it. You won't be alone again." _

_She tried to sooth the tiger and it worked. The owl pulled the cub into a hug. "It is just a nightmare; it isn't true." _

"_You'll be there," Tigress repeated, resting her head in the owl's feathers. _

_The owl was still new with the whole 'being-a-mother-thing', but she knew that she right now was doing what she should. She was comforting the child. _

"_I will," Fenghuang told her. "Always." _

* * *

Fenghuang then realized she could not break that promise. Tigress was strong on many ways, but could be very weak mentally. If she became locked up again… Fenghuang feared what that could do to her child.

That was why she could not allow it to happen.

"Tigress," she said softly. "I need you to run."

The tiger stared at her as if she did not understand. "What?"

"I cannot take out all of the Masters and neither can you." Fenghuang sighed. "And I am too tired to carry you again."

"If we do it together-"

"No," the owl told her sternly. "Get as far away from here as you can."

Tigress slowly started to understand. "And you?"

"I'll distract them."

"Wha… No!" Tigress exclaimed. "You just said you can't defeat them!"

Fenghuang nodded. "But I can hold them off."

"No!" Tigress yelled again. "I am not going until you are there with me."

Fenghuang forced herself to harden her glance. "It is not a choice, Tigress. Do what I say."

"No!"

"As your mother, I need you to listen to me," the owl said in such a tone that Tigress fell quiet. "Go. Don't stop until it is truly necessary. Don't wait for me; I'll come when I can."

But the tiger shook her head. "What if they stop you?"

"I need you to trust me."

"How can I? After all you have said to me, how can I trust you now?" Tigress exclaimed and the first tears could be seen in her eyes.

Fenghuang closed her eyes. "Because I am your mother," she told her softly. "And I love you."

"Then don't go. Let me help you. This is what you trained me for!"

"No. I trained you so you can protect yourself. Now I need you to do it."

"And how can I know that you will return?" Tigress asked her bitterly. "I just lost Uncle-"

"This isn't the same," Fenghuang said quickly. "Do you remember why I was banished, Tigress?"

Angrily brushing away the tears on her cheek, Tigress answered, "Because you are strong."

Fenghuang nodded. "Keep that thought."

Getting up on all fours, Tigress looked in the way that led towards the Jade Palace. Then she turned the opposite way.

Fenghuang walked towards her, and held up her head with a feather. "You are my daughter, Tigress. And no matter what everybody else will tell you, no matter what they say, then know that I do love you."

Tigress met her mother's eyes; then she nodded.

"Go," the owl told her and Tigress started running away.

Alone.

After watching her disappear, Fenghuang started to fly upwards again. As she prepared herself for her final battle, she suddenly noticed that she was crying.

She could not remember the last time she had seen her own tears.

But, no. She could not become weak now. This was Tigress' chance to escape. She had to make sure that Tigress would not end in prison, that she would not be locked up again.

Even if it meant that she had to go there instead.

Fenghuang flew towards the Jade Palace to meet the Masters.

* * *

A/N: Okay, I did not cry. But I was so close! I listened to "Goodbye May Seem Forever" from "The Fox and the Hound" and "Baby Mine" from "Dumbo" while writing this chapter. My heart hurts now.

Yeah, I know I am not supposed to update; my play has premiere tomorrow; but I somehow found the time to write this extremely long chapter.

Please guys; this story has over 50 favorites. Imagine if all you reviewed. This is the chapter I actually loved writing the most, so please, please, please tell me how you feel now (did I make any of you cry?).


	25. Old Comrade

A/N: And I am back to free you from the cliffhanger. Oh, I keep getting ideas for this story! It just never stops! This story is going to be like fifty chapters f I continue this way! Which would be happy news for you since there won't be a sequel (sorry, but it is decided). So yeah… Let's wait and see! Shall we?

Thanks for reaching 300 reviews, guys! I love you all!

And… dun dun dun… I have decided to bring in another character. You see, he is not exactly an OC… We just don't know a lot about him yet.

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Old Comrade **

Fenghuang danced. At least, that was how she felt. Using the advantages of her wings, she flew through the air. Deflecting the arrows that were sent towards her, she dived towards her next enemy.

They were many.

She had to admit that.

Blocking the attack from the flying student, the crane, she sent him to the ground with a kick. She did not care what happened to him; she had too many things to worry about than that.

Tigress…

It was like a call back up her mind. Her worry for the tiger just could not leave.

Her daughter.

Out there.

Alone.

How could she not be worried? But she had to keep fighting, so the others could not find the tiger. So her daughter could get away.

Eyes squeezed together in concentration, Fenghuang turned towards the ground. She had to defeat those warriors too. Trying not to pant, she ignored the pain in her wings.

She had just defeated a whole fortress; why should she not be able to do the same here?

"_Because you are tired,"_ her brain told her. "_It's just a matter of time before you are going to collapse." _

Fenghuang held in a snort. She was the master. She was the one who had challenged the mighty Oogway! How many had done that?!

"_But you didn't defeat him. Remember that." _

So? She had gotten stronger since then. Her feathers could cut their throats and her claws could rip out their hearts! She could defeat them!

"_Really? You haven't even taken down the half of them!" _

But she would! She just needed some time, then she could kill them all if she wanted.

"_And what if they intend to kill too?" _

She was too strong! She was Fenghuang! She was invincible!

"_Then let's say that they do kill you? What will happen then? What about Tigress?" _

Fenghuang narrowed her eyes. She would not be killed. For her daughter's sake, she would not be killed.

"_You already know what will happen. She will be captured or killed. Or she'll just walk around on her own until she finally can't take it anymore." _

But Tigress would not die. As a mother, Fenghuang would not let that happen.

"_Poor Fenghuang, never fulfilling the expectations." _

"Shut it!" the owl hissed, not realizing she was talking to herself.

"_And now you are-" _

"Stop."

"_-once again-" _

"Silence!"

"_-alone." _

Shaking with anger, Fenghuang knocked down a lynx as she landed. The voice was pushing her to the edge, forcing her to remain fighting. The anger actually helped.

Defeating five of the young, trained warriors, Fenghuang gave herself a second to catch her breath. Just a second. Then she would continue.

But when she set her eyes on the next opponent, she took in another deep breath.

Shifu.

The red panda held his staff tightly as he faced his old comrade. "Fenghuang," he greeted her.

"Back for another round, Shifu?" the owl called while flying closer to her.

"Where's Tigress?" he asked, blocking her kick.

The owl did not answer, but instead tried hitting him with her feathers. Once again, he deflected the attack, much to her anger.

Shifu stopped for a moment to glance at her. "You are tired," he commented.

Narrowing her eyes, she leapt at him with an angry hissed. He stepped aside, and suddenly his student, the snake, came towards her. Quickly closing her foot around the scaly body, Fenghuang threw the student aside, sending her into the chest of the annoying monkey.

"I see you aren't brave enough to face me on your own," the owl told him tauntingly. "Feeling old, Shifu?"

The red panda raised an eyebrow. "You do know that I am aware of _your _age, Fenghuang?"

She scowled while taking her battle stance. "At least I am not the oldest."

Shifu's eye twitched. Now the fight was truly on.

Some of his students came to help him, but he held up a hand. He would do this on his own.

"Really, Shifu?" Fenghuang asked him. "Didn't you get enough the last time?"

"This needs an end, Fenghuang," he told her sternly, preparing himself for the battle.

"An end?" the owl asked out loud as if she was thinking about what the words meant. Then a cruel smile came to her face as she set her eyes on Shifu. "_Your _end."

Then she spread out her wings and a moment after, Shifu was thrown backwards. Holding up both of his arms as a shield, we barely saw the owl's claws aiming at him.

Jumping up into the air, Shifu dodged the attack, but Fenghuang turned around in the air, coming at him again. When he landed, Shifu lifted himself helped by the staff and threw numerous kicks at the owl's unprotected chest.

Landing roughly, Fenghuang looked up to see the red panda running towards her. Using her wings as a shield, she made it impossible for the master to hurt her. When he stopped attacking for a second, she used her wing as one long sword and tried to cut him.

She managed to hurt his arm, but that did not slow him down. Jumping into the air, he landed on the other side of her, attempting to strike her back. But her head followed him as he jumped, and Fenghuang saw what he was planning. Quickly spinning around her body too, she blocked the strike.

"You think… you can win… this time…?" she asked him, panting. She wished that she was not tired, but right now her wings were shaking of fatigue.

Shifu eyed her calmly. "Yes," he answered. "I do."

Not being able to hold back a scowl, Fenghuang said, "You are wrong."

She flew towards him again, desperate to end this battle. But she knew that if she happened to defeat Shifu, then there still were all the other warriors back… It would never end…

As she came closer towards him, Fenghuang suddenly noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Something she had not expected to see. But it was true; a leopard could be seen in the distance.

What was _he_ doing here?

The familiar leopard's presence distracted Fenghuang for a short moment.

And that was all the time Shifu needed.

* * *

Tigress ran. Her surroundings were a blur, and she did not notice more than she had to. She avoided running into trees, but that was it. She nearly flew; so fast did she run. She remembered how she, as a cub, really had tried to fly. She just needed to go faster, faster!

Sometimes she had almost believed she could.

But now she did not have the time to those thoughts. She did not even have the time to think.

Run. That was what she had to do. The only thing. Just to run.

Her mother… No! She could not think about that now! She could not think about anything!

Sour tears filled her eyes and Tigress gasped after air as her throat suddenly seemed too tight. But… but she would do as her mother told her.

She just needed to run.

In the start, she had felt like somebody had been watching her. Probably some of the warriors who had followed her. Then she had speeded up and soon she had been alone again.

Where should she go?

Her body was tired. Ju-long's tea had finally left her mind completely, but the running was making her tired. And quickly. But her mother had told her to flee, to get away, and that was what she would do.

She just hoped she would be strong enough…

Tigress shook her head. Of course she was strong enough! She was Tigress! Daughter of Fenghuang! Of course she could do this…

And her mother would be alright too. She was Fenghuang! She had defeated Shifu before! Of course she could do it now. And the other warriors… They were weak! They were nothing.

She and her mother could do this.

Tigress did not rest. She knew that if she stopped for a moment all the doubt would come. She would become weak.

She could not risk that.

And so she ran.

But finally, her legs gave up. It was the middle of the night; the morning would first come in some hours. It was cold and it was raining slightly. At least that would destroy her paw prints.

She slowed down and then began to feel the pain in her legs. Limping, she looked around. It was dark and her vision was misty. The need for sleep was so strong.

Tigress' gave up and let herself fall to the ground, landing near a tree. Curling into a ball with her back leaning against the trunk, Tigress closed her eyes.

* * *

Fenghuang glared at Shifu through the whole in her cage, just made for her eyes. When she had finally woken up again, she had found herself inside of this… thing. The cage, she had seconds later realized.

They had finally managed to capture her inside it.

Her body was screaming in pain, but her anger dulled it. She kept her beak shut but glared at the red panda with all the hate she had.

Shifu was standing on his staff to be able to see her eyes, but jumped down when he understood that she was no longer unconscious. "She's awake," he declared as he jumped down, walking towards his tired students.

They did not come to look at her, but instead remained in the little group they formed. Even though they were exhausted, smiles could be seen on their faces.

"So…" Po began. "It's over?" he asked as if he did not dare to believe it.

"No quite," Crane said and they all understood. "But the valley has been saved."

"I told you we could do it," the panda said with triumph in his voice.

Viper rested on his shoulder, lifting her head as she said, "But we still need to hold a ceremony for Tiger."

"And then there is Tigress," Monkey remembered.

"What about her?" Mantis asked. "She's just… gone. Disappeared."

"We could leave it like that-" Crane started but was cut off by a deep voice behind them.

"But we will not," Ox finished as he and Croc entered the scene. The students fell quiet as the two masters walked towards the cage. Croc looked over his shoulders to look at them and shrugged, but Ox' face remained cold as he looked through the hole in the owl-shaped cage.

Fenghuang's purple eyes met him with blinking.

"Where is she?" Ox asked her with crossed arms. "Where is the tiger?"

"Her name is Tigress," Crane called from behind, but glanced at the ground when the ox glared at him, clearly not satisfied. "Just if you didn't know…"

Narrowing his eyes, he looked at the caged owl again. "You could spare yourself from a whole lot of trouble."

Fenghuang remained silent.

"Maybe she can't hear us," Croc suggested and walked closer. Knocking on the metal cage with his hand, he called. "Hello? Hellooo?"

"Fool!" Fenghuang hissed, causing him to stumble backwards in surprise.

Sighing, Master Shifu stood beside the two masters. "She won't tell," he said quietly.

"Then we'll make her tell," Ox thundered, glaring at the big bird's eyes. They were not scared of her anymore. She had been very hard to defeat, yes, and many of their warriors were injured.

But now it was over.

The enemy had been defeated and the valley was saved. The two masters were satisfied; now they had been able to truly thank the Jade Palace's warriors by saving them. Now they were even.

Fenghuang snorted; did they really think that she would reveal where Tigress was? Not that she knew… But no way would she put her child in danger.

Shifu's ear twitched by the sound, but decided to ignore it.

"Your attempts would be meaningless," he told the ox.

"And how do you know that?"

Shifu looked at owl-shaped cage again. "Because I know _her_."

"An old comrade if I remember," Ox said. "Another example of what power can do to a person," he said, a part of his thoughts about Shen.

Fenghuang refused to meet Shifu's eyes and instead kept staring at Ox.

"What now?" Croc suddenly asked. "We got to find the tiger."

Shifu became quiet for a moment. Then he said, "It's possible she ran towards the mountains. Ask your warriors if they have seen any trace of her; if yes, then start searching. She is probably tired and will have to rest. It's easier to capture her if she is asleep."

Fenghuang wished her eyes could burn through the metal of the cage.

"And if we capture her?" Croc asked.

"She will be brought to Chorh-Gom," Ox answered. "Along with her _mother_."

Croc turned around. "I'll see if someone is ready to start the searching."

The Furious… Four and Po shared glances. After having bit his lip, Po turned around to run after the croc. "Hey, wait up!"

Slowly, the rest of the students following him, and now only Shifu and Ox were in front of the cage. They were all in the Hall of Warriors; while thinking of what to do, they wanted to rest.

"What should we do now, Master Shifu?"

Fenghuang held in a sigh of annoyance; they did know that she could hear what they were talking about, right?

"We truly appreciate your help here, Master Ox," Shifu answered. "And now we will inform the villagers of our return. You can return home if you want; though, if you want to be a part of the search of Tigress-"

"We'll help," Ox said shortly. "What about her?" he asked, looking at Fenghuang.

Shifu followed his glance. "I'll bring her to Chorh-Gom."

"Alone?" the ox asked, clearly surprised.

"My students will stay and take care of the valley. But no; I'll not be alone," Shifu answered.

"I am sure some of my warriors will offer you their help," Ox told him.

Shifu nodded. "We would like that," he answered, and first now Ox saw the leopard who was hiding in the shadows behind Fenghuang's cage.

* * *

A/N: And I'll end it here. More about the leopard in the later chapters. Actually, you can figure out who the leopard is because he is a part of the series; we just don't know like anything about him. Actually, I am not even sure he is a he (there only exists a picture of him), but I have decided to make him a male… It would be so typical if the series later decides to make it a female… Never mind!

Thank you for reading and your reviews! 300! It's amazing. So please share your thoughts… Again…


	26. A Little Game Of Tag

A/N: And I am back. Missed me? No, you didn't. Sigh. The number of reviews keeps going down. It makes me so frustrated. What can I do, guys? This is the story with most favorites, but it is the one who gets less reviews! That makes no sense (as Mantis would say it).

One of you asked about the end of this story; I can say that we have a lot of chapters ahead of us yet. So yeah… And I have 7 (!) possible endings for this story, but I just can't decide!

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, A Little Game Of Tag **

Fenghuang's mood was bad. Not just bad. It was like very, very bad. The days with little Tigress seemed like eternities ago. And it felt like it was years ago since she had even seen her daughter.

Shifu and _him _were walking beside her cage that was driven away by some warriors. The owl's wings were screaming; it had been way too long time since she had used them. But right now an attempt of escaping seemed foolish.

The metal was strong, keeping her from moving. She could not find any weaknesses in the steel, and no matter how hard she hit her head against the cage, it only resulted in a headache.

The red panda and the leopard walked in silence, and did not speak unless it was absolutely necessary. That annoyed Fenghuang more than she wanted to admit. Just their presence was like a thorn in her side; now they also gave her the cold shoulder?

Fine; she could do exactly the same.

And so she did. Not a word came from her beak.

With a determined look in her eyes, Fenghuang was led to Chorh-Gom.

* * *

With a small yawn, Tigress woke up. She had to squint as the sun's light hit her face. It was morning. Tigress remained on all fours, her head filled with questions.

Where was she?

Why did her body hurt so much?

Where was…?

The realization hit her like a brick. "No, no, no," she muttered, rapidly moving her head around. But her mother was nowhere to be seen.

"Mother!"

Quickly climbing a nearby tree that was standing on the top of the hill, Tigress got the view of the whole valley she had slept in. But under her was only forest and over her was a clouded sky.

No Fenghuang.

Maybe… Maybe she was still fighting. Maybe she had defeated Shifu and the other by now and was resting at the Jade Palace.

When the owl had gotten back her strength, she would come and look for her.

Taking in deep breaths, Tigress tried to calm herself. Her mother trusted her to remain calm and keep her focus. This was not as bad as it seemed.

But it was not a nightmare she could wake up from.

Looking over the valley, Tigress searched with her eyes. She had a good view from here; she could even see the mountains that surrounded the Valley of Peace in the distance.

A part of her wanted to go back to search for her mother, but she also knew that it was a really stupid thing to do. Her mother had sent her away so she could be safe.

And that was what she should do.

Crouching down on the branch she was sitting on, Tigress noticed some movement down the hill. And sure enough; between the trees she could see black and white. The panda.

And some warriors she could not recognize.

They had gone after her…

And when she looked up, she saw a bird on the sky. And it was not her mother.

"Just great," she muttered as she slowly crawled off the tree. Turning around, she quickly disappeared between the trees and into the tall grass.

But she had not been on the run for more than ten minutes, before she noticed that something was very wrong with her legs. The pain just became bigger and bigger until she was limping badly.

The run yesterday must have been too much for them.

Growling, Tigress forced herself to continue. This was her own fault! If she had not left the Jade Palace, then her uncle would not have been killed and she would not have been captured. Then her mother would not have fought Ju-long and his warriors. Because if the owl had not been that tired when they reached the palace, then they would have been able to defeat the masters.

Then she and her mother would have been safe.

But now Tigress was walked towards an uncertain future.

And then suddenly Tigress realized it; for the first time since the orphanage she was alone.

Completely alone.

As she thought about this, Tigress was suddenly hit by a fear greater than ever.

Was this really her destiny? Being alone, hunted, hated?

Head dropping, Tigress struggled to keep on moving. Why should she? They would find her eventually. And her mother…

Her mother was probably captured.

And now Tigress knew why they hated her.

Because her mother was evil. That was what her uncle had told her. What Shifu had said. What everybody thought.

She was the daughter of a villain. And she was evil too. She had killed people. Good people. The heroes.

And all this time she had not known it.

First now she finally saw everything clearly. Fenghuang had been banished because she wanted Oogway's place.

But Oogway could not be replaced. He was Oogway. He was… just invincible.

Then Fenghuang had fled, knowing she could not return. And then she had found her. But… why?

Why had the owl decided to take her in? She had been Fenghuang's little warrior; she knew that now. She had defeated the students so Fenghuang could take out Shifu alone.

She knew that her mother cared for her. She just did not know why.

Her mother had always told her that she had heard some travelers talking about her as a cub. That she knew that they would be the perfect family.

Now Tigress started doubting what Fenghuang had ever told her.

And by doing that, she doubted everything she knew.

It was like a whole new world. She was no longer a misjudged warrior, but a bad guy on the run. There was a reason why everybody hated her.

Shaking her head sadly, Tigress tried to think of a plan.

First of all; she had to save her mother. That was not to be questioned. She was her mother.

But how was she going to do that? She could not just break into Chorh-Gom! That was impossible!

Tigress remembered how she as a cub once made plans of how to free Tai Lung. After what she heard of him, he was exactly like her and her mother. She never understood why Fenghuang refused to get him out of Chorh-Gom or at least just think about it.

But Fenghuang had been stern; Tai Lung was not their problem.

Yet, Tigress had always been sure that if they had saved him, he would have been the perfect big brother.

She did not want the same fate as Tai Lung.

Why could they not just leave them alone?! If they did, then she and her mother could live in a cave again! They would never hurt anyone! They would just live in peace if people just would let them…

But now it was too late.

If she only could go back in time and fix this. But she could not; she could only move forward. What could she do to fix her mistakes?

She knew what forgiveness was. Her mother had forgiven her when she had accidently broken something and Tigress had forgiven her mother when she had become too annoying.

Sigh. And she forgave her for lying.

But now Tigress needed everybody else to forgive them. But how? Tigress did not know. When she had forgiven her mother, and sometimes her uncle, it had been because it felt right.

How was she going to make them realize that they had not meant it?

Or, at least; she had not meant it. Her mother had… It had been her plan.

Stopping for a moment, Tigress listened. For a minute, she just stood there; like a statue. Then she continued moving forward, knowing that she was alone.

Ignoring the pain in her body, Tigress made a plan. Right now, she just had to get out of sight and away from the warriors. A simple plan. When she was safe, she had to come up with an idea of how to save her mother.

First run. Then think.

* * *

They closed the door behind then with a great slam, removing themselves from Fenghuang's view and leaving her with nothing but darkness. Shifu sighed, knowing they would talk about it.

"It's a shame," said the leopard beside him. He too was wearing a sad face as they left the owl's cell.

This was the first time they could really talk about it without Fenghuang listening.

"It is indeed, Longwei," Shifu said, calling the leopard by his name. "Sometimes you would wonder what our part in it is."

"There was nothing we could do," Longwei said quietly. "She chose her path, we chose ours." His blue eyes narrowed. "Any news from the Jade Palace?"

"They are still after Tigress," Shifu told him. "They are following her, but have not caught up on her yet. They will soon."

They both turned around to look at the closed prison door behind them.

"Fenghuang is not going to be happy," the leopard said. "But, of course, she is already angry."

Shifu nodded. "She never let go of her anger. That is what caused this." They started walking their way out of Chorh-Gom again.

"It's quite funny," Longwei said. "I did not think I would see her again. When she left… I was pretty sure it was forever. And if I said I did not miss her, I would be a liar."

The red panda glanced at him. "It's understandable. Her betrayal seemed to be the end of us. How are the others, now when we talk about it?"

"Bai is busy with his family," Longwei said, thinking about the rooster. "And I haven't heard from Delun for a while."

Shifu smiled slightly, remembering his old comrades. The red panda, the owl, the leopard, the rooster and the elephant. Together they had created the Furious Five.

But when Fenghuang had left them, the team just fell apart. Only Shifu remained at the Jade Palace, while the others left to create their own destinies.

Bai had found a family, Delun travelled around China, Longwei had created a Kung Fu Academy, and Fenghuang… she had found Tigress.

And he had found Tai Lung. He had lost Tai Lung. He had gotten new students, creating the new Furious Five. He had trained Po the Dragon Warrior.

And now they were here.

When Shifu and his students had fled, the master had contacted his old comrade, telling him about Fenghuang. When the Masters Council had reached the Valley of Peace, he had been there, waiting for them.

"I am sure they miss it too," Longwei said, "the good, old days."

"So long time ago," Shifu muttered, causing the leopard to laugh.

"Did you just call us old, Shifu?" he asked him.

The Grandmaster raised an eyebrow. "I was just clearing up the facts," he said calmly, though, with a smile on his lips.

Longwei rolled his eyes. "You sure were." The leopard had of course changed since they had fought together as young. The age was too showing of him; the fur that covered his slim body had gotten almost completely white. Though, his eyes were still happy as ever.

His presence made Shifu happier than he wanted to admit. When he looked at Fenghuang, it brought back memories. Longwei helped him remember the good times. And even though the leopard was a bit too playful after Shifu's taste, he had happily received a punch to the shoulder as they had done in the old days.

It still hurt, even though it was meant as a warm greeting.

As they stood in front of the big door that led out of the prison, they hesitated.

"We should rest," Longwei said. "I don't feel like walking into a blizzard right now."

Knowing he was right, Shifu said, "We'll stay here until morning."

They turned around and the guards bow to them once again. "Shifu?" Longwei then asked. "Her kid; you knew her, right?"

Shifu nodded, looking at the ground. "I trained her shortly when she was a cub."

But Longwei seemed to be lost in his thoughts. "I just can't believe it. Fenghuang… with a cub?"

"She's not exactly a cub…" Shifu tried, but understood that Longwei was no longer listening. "Goodnight, Longwei," as they walked different ways to get to their room.

"Goodnight," the leopard muttered and disappeared.

As Shifu walked to his bed, he realized one thing; he had to talk with Fenghuang. He needed answers and she was the one who had them.

Knowing he would leave tomorrow, Shifu decided to talk with the prisoner tonight.

What he did not know was that Longwei had exactly the same plans.

* * *

"She's in there," the warrior told Po. The panda gulped as he looked into the cave; he saw only darkness.

"So… who enters first?"

The warrior, an always serious lynx, glared at him. For Po, it was like Tiger was back; just in another body.

"You'll lure her out, and I'll shoot her with this," he said while holding out an arrow. "As soon as it hits her, she will fall asleep."

"Okay, okay," Po muttered. "Got it."

"Great," the lynx said. "Let's begin."

Widening his eyes, Po called out, "Wait!" But the warrior had already disappeared up into a tree, making his bow ready.

Scowling, Po walked towards the cave. He really did not want to do this.

First of all; Tigress had claws! She could scratch him! Or worse…

And on the other hand; he did not want to capture the tiger. In those weeks where he and his friends had been captured, he had seen a side of Tigress that the warriors did not see.

He understood her. At least, in some ways.

And this… this just felt wrong. Tigress had not meant what she had done. She had thought it had been the right thing to do. And she had saved their lives in some crazy way.

But now he was stepping inside the cave as the first step to bring her to prison. "Tigress?" he whispered, hoping to wake her up so he could warn her.

One of the spies had seen her gone into this cave, probably to rest, and this was their chance to take her down. Po felt like being a coward; attacking one while she was sleeping.

"Tigress?"

And in the darkness, two glowing feline eyes could now be seen.

She was awake.

"Tigress," Po tried again but was met with a furious growl. "Tigress, wait! Eep!"

The panda had to back away quickly as Tigress jumped at him. Before he realized what he had done, Po was out of the cave with Tigress running towards him and the warrior waiting in the tree.

* * *

A/N: And I end it here! Yes, the leopard does look like a girl on the picture (a little bit), but now she's a he! Mah! More about him in the next chapter!

**Look here!** Thanks! I have made my first poll ever and I think you are going to like it! I am making drawing of my OC's!

Please vote and review *using my puppy-eyes here*!


	27. Old Flames

A/N: And I am back! Not much to say else than I truly enjoy writing this story! I really feel with the characters and the plot has grown so much! Actually, if I had followed my original plot the story would have been over by now! And that would be sad, wouldn't it?!

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Old Flames **

Tigress had unsheathed her claws, wanting to rip the panda to pieces. He was one of them! He as one of them that had separated her from her mother. He was going to pay! They were all going to pay!

She jumped at him with a roar. He whimpered and stepped aside.

Why did he not fight back! Was he really such a coward?!

In the next second they were both out of the cave, the sunlight taunting her sore eyes. She squinted, but kept her focus on him.

The panda suddenly panicked, looking like something horrible was going to happen. "Tigress," he tried again as she came closer, body pressed against the ground so she could jump at him.

Po thought about what to do, but only became even more confused.

Tigress was his enemy. Well, that was correct. She did kill Tiger and locked him and his friends up so…

She deserved to be in prison. But… She thought she was doing the right thing she you could not really blame her, right? But that did not change that she still was a threat against the villagers.

It was his duty to capture her. Well, he was the Dragon Warrior. And the Dragon Warrior was supposed to things like this.

She was his friend. She did… Wait, what? What could he answer here? He knew that Tigress was a bad guy; she had killed his friend, nearly killed everybody else, held them captured in weeks… But if she did not know it was bad…?

Torn, Po groaned in frustration. But then he realized he did not only have an angry tiger in front of him, but also a warrior in the tree with an arrow aimed at the tiger.

Not good.

"Uhh…" Having only seconds to make his choice, Po continued looking from Tigress to the warrior in the tree.

Normally, Tigress would have noticed the way he was looking at someone behind her, but right at the moment she was blinded by her anger. What she wanted was the comfort of her mother; and the panda was one of them that had made that impossible.

Po saw that the lynx fired his arrow; and his mind made the decision without even thinking about it. He lunged forward, taking Tigress by surprise, and sent them both back into the cave.

He landed on his back with a grunt, and his eyes widened when he realized that Tigress was lying on top of him.

It took some seconds before the feline realized what had happened. She then shook her head in confusion, but when she set her eyes on Po, she became serious again. She growled and lifted her paw to slash him in the face.

But Po reacted quickly and grabbed her paw before she could succeed. "Listen, Tigress," he said quickly, pushing her off him. "I know that you are angry-"

"Where is she?!" she roared and leapt at him again, only to be kicked away.

"Chorh-Gom, but…" he trailed off when he saw the tiger standing on all fours, frozen while looking at the ground. "Tigress, I am sorry…"

"She's there?" Tigress whispered, hoping it was a crazy nightmare. Chorh-Gom was like a black hole; she would never be able to get her mother out of there.

The information left her hollow inside.

"Listen, Tigress, there's a dude out there, waiting for you to come out so he can shoot you…"

"You set me up?" Tigress asked him, somehow hoping that he might help her. She really needed help right now…

Po rubbed his face with his paw at the sight of Tigress' big eyes. "What can I do? I am the Dragon Warrior and you are…"

"What?" she asked him. "Fenghuang's daughter? The evil tiger that does nothing but what her mother says?"

And then Po realized it. "So… You know it?"

"I know that… she has made some mistakes," Tigress finished softly. She then snarled and glared at him. "Now move aside," she growled.

"You crazy?" Po asked him. "If that arrow hits you… That's your ticket to Chorh-Gom! You may have done some bad things, Tigress, but not bad enough to deserve that!"

She tilted her head. "I killed your friend," she told him.

"Yeah… But you were… blinded, if you understand what I mean? You did not know that it was wrong! Tigress, I am just doing the same as you did when you spared our lives."

She thought about it.

"You see?!" Po exclaimed. "I can help you!"

"How?"

"Uhmm…" Why did he not have an answer for that?

Sighing, Tigress realized she could not attack him now; not after they had been talking like this. She was still mad at him, but right now she just needed some support.

And it was nice to know that not everybody saw her as a monster.

She suddenly turned around and saw the lynx standing in the entrance of the cave, not looking happy. He was holding his bow and the arrow was pointing at her. She growled threatening, while the hair on her neck rose in anger.

"I don't know what you are doing, Dragon Warrior," the lynx hissed, "but it is not what you are supposed to do."

Po opened his mouth to protest, but then changed his mind and stepped in front of Tigress. The tiger, that was crouching against the ground, looked up at him. Both she and the lynx dropped their jaws in disbelief.

"With all respect, Dragon Warrior," the lynx said through gritted teeth, "move."

But Po remained where he was. "Listen, she doesn't deserve to go to Chorh-Gom! It's not right!"

"Maybe, but your master, Grandmaster Shifu, gave us the order to capture her and bring her to them." He tried to glare at the tiger who was behind the panda. "And I follow my orders."

"Well, but I follow my conscience!" Po pronounced proudly. "And this is wrong!"

The two continued discussing, while Tigress tried to understand what had just happened. Had the panda really protected her? Yes, he had.

But Tigress understood that if she did not want to go to prison, then she had to get out of here. Making a plan, she suddenly roared loudly, causing Po and the lynx to stop yelling at each other in surprise.

Actually, the lynx became so shocked that he let go of his arrow. It hit the cave's ceiling, and was then sent back towards the ground in a great speed. Both Po and Tigress had to jump aside so they would not get hit.

In the next second Tigress was running towards the exit. As the lynx was in her way, she jumped onto his back, sending him to the ground. Kicking him in the head with her back paws, Tigress moved forward again.

But just as she came out of the cave, she was suddenly pulled up into the air. Growling, she trashed around in the net she was caught in.

Po stared at the scene with mouth opened in shock. That was why he did not react when the lynx got up and once again made his arrow ready. For a short moment, Tigress' eyes locked into Po's.

Then the lynx fired. The arrow, that was smaller than normal so it could not be lethal, got stuck in her shoulder and Tigress let out a howl of anger. But then her rapid movements got slower and finally died out. Tigress closed her eyes and her head fell against the net.

The lynx walked over to her and then glared at Po. He stared back, first now understanding what had just happened. "Did you just…?"

"Since you gave me so much extra time by talking with the tiger, I decided to make this." He pulled in some of the rope the net was made of. "Just in case I would miss."

Shaking his head, Po walked towards Tigress but the lynx blocked his way. "Listen, Dragon Warrior; I am bringing this villain to Chorh-Gom. I was ordered to do that, and if you try and spoil my mission, I will not hesitate with sedating you too."

Po widened his eyes, staring at the very angry lynx in front of him.

"And if you really want to discuss whether she should spend the rest of her life in prison or not, then do it with your master when we arrive. I don't care. I am just doing my order to bring her there. Understood?"

Po nodded wordlessly.

"Good. Now help me get her down and carry her."

* * *

Fenghuang met the leopard's glance.

"Fenghuang," he greeted her.

"Longwei," she answered coldly from her cage. "Not nice to see you."

He grinned softly. "Always your tongue ready as a weapon."

She did not smile. "Leave."

"No. Not now, Fenghuang. It's too early."

She narrowed her eyes. "What do you want?"

He crossed his arms. "A talk."

"No."

Longwei laughed. "Always stubborn."

And Fenghuang snapped. "Don't you come here and act like nothing has happened!" When he did not answer, she continued hissing, "I am in a cage and don't you think that I am blaming myself!"

"It was not me who left the Jade Palace!" he answered her, trying to remain calm.

"I just showed you who I truly am, how strong I was." She lowered her voice, "I thought you would understand." Her voice then returned for full strength, "You did not even try to understand!"

"How could we, Fenghuang?" he asked her. "We were comrades and suddenly you turned against our master! I can't exactly find an excuse for that."

"I don't need an _excuse_; a have a _reason_," she told him sternly.

"And what was that?"

"You were all underestimating me."

He slammed his fist against the cave, making it shake slightly. "Believe me, Fenghuang; if there was one thing I wasn't doing, then it was underestimating me."

There came an evil twinkle in her eyes. "You are right, Longwei. I remember now; you were always watching me in awe."

"I was you friend," he muttered. "Of course I was impressed by your skills. Who wasn't?"

"Oogway wasn't," she hissed. "That was the problem. So I decided to fix it."

"By challenging him? Fenghuang, you must have known that nothing good would have come out of that!" he exclaimed.

"Don't fool yourself into believing that you would have understood me!" she hissed back. "I was way more than what you thought of me!"

He chuckled. "Then I guess you don't know what I thought of you."

Her face turned into stone. "Listen, Longwei; I don't think you have changed a bit since then."

"Funny; Shifu said the same."

"And therefore I know that you still have that silly crush of yours. But hear; just like back then, _I am not interested_!" she hissed and her words were as cold as ice. "You never realized that things changed and that is going to be your doom, Longwei."

He blinked. "But I am the one outside the cage."

"When I left, I was free. Free from all of you and your stupidity. You think I missed you? Wrong!"

Longwei just stared at her. "So you never got lonely out there?" he mocked her. "Come on, Fenghy; I know you better than that."

Her eyes snapped wide open. "No, you don't, and don't call me that. Ever. Again. Or you're going to miss your throat." She then took in a deep breath. "Things have changed and I definitely a proof of that. And if you can't face it, then it makes you the fool."

The leopard seemed to freeze for a second, but then said, "I choose to remember the good things. That's a choice of mine." His body then relaxed again. "Heard you had a kid?"

"That is none of your concern."

"Actually, it is." His voice had gotten sharper. "I am here to find out of what happened to you."

"They hired you?" she asked with a snort.

Longwei lowered his shoulders. "Only to capture you and the tiger."

"Don't-" she hissed, not liking the way they all talked about her daughter.

"It's still a mystery why you did it. Adopted her," Longwei told her. "Care to explain?"

She tried to tilt her head. "As you said; then it was impossible not to get lonely."

"And you found a kid?!" he exclaimed. "Fenghuang, we both know that it was a bad idea."

"No, it wasn't," she answered coldly.

"But you as a mother?!"

"Yes," the owl told him calmly. "And that was the best choice I ever made."

"Better than leaving the palace?"

"That one comes second."

He laughed a little, but then got serious again. "We both know you had other plans than getting rid of loneliness when you took in the cub."

"Think whatever you want," Fenghuang told him coldly. "You know nothing about Tigress."

"I know she's a murderer. I know she changed you."

"You are blaming her for me leaving?" Fenghuang asked him in disbelief. "She wasn't even born at that time!"

Longwei leaned closer to explain. "When you left, you were still _you_. But now you have changed."

"And that's Tigress' fault?" When he did not answer, she continued, "Touch her and-"

"I am not the one to hurt her."

"What do you mean by that?"

He shrugged. "You do realize that she got a price on her head by now? It's just a question of time before they find her."

"She's smart; I have been teaching her how to survive."

"Are stealing and betraying a part of that training?"

"She's stronger than you; you really should know that."

He glared back. "Do you want to know how we know that we will capture her? Because that kid can't handle herself alone and she won't leave the valley unless her mother is with her. We just need to find her hiding place."

The owl narrowed her eyes. "Leave."

"Goodnight, Fenghuang," he said and then turned around. Just when he was some meters away from her, Shifu was standing in front of him. "Shifu!" he said, surprised. "I thought you had gone to bed."

The red panda raised his eyebrow. "I thought the same."

"Couldn't sleep. Had to talk with her," he explained and looked over his shoulder to glance at Fenghuang's cage. "She sure isn't the girl we used to look up to."

"I didn't-"

"Please, Shifu. Admit it; we all had a crush on her at that time."

The red panda visible blushed. "It was not that surprising; she was the only female-" Why was he explaining this? Shifu shook his head. "She is right, Longwei. Things have changed." He patted his friend on his arm. "It's time for you to realize it."

Longwei shrugged, not liking that two persons had told him that at the same night. "Why couldn't you sleep?"

"I came here to deliver the news," Shifu explained. He then raised his voice and took a step forward Fenghuang's cage. "Tigress has been captured."

* * *

A/N: Once again, a finished chapter. And I repeat if some of you had forgotten it; there will be no romance which means no Tigress/Po. They have a friendship that I want not work with, but definitely not romance.

About my drawings; I have uploaded Enlai again, this time with a better quality. The Jie and Lu Chu drawing is now also out ;) remember to check it out. I am working on a drawing with Yun-qi.


	28. In The Darkness

A/N: To that anonymous reviewer that has started reading this story from the start; you are awesome! I always love when I get a new reader! So thanks!

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, In The Darkness **

"Great work, Shifu," Longwei muttered sarcastically. "I think you broke her."

The owl had gotten strangely quiet in her cage, while her former comrades could only try and watch her. Shifu looked through the hole in the metal, but did not meet the owl's eyes as she had closed them.

The red panda sighed. "I just thought you should know." He then jumped off his staff and signaled Longwei to leave with him.

As they closed the door behind them, a shrieking scream could be heard from inside the cell.

* * *

Tigress slept. Po studied her face while carrying her, but found no signs of her being dreaming. Maybe that dart just made her sleep and took away all her dreams.

The panda grunted as he tried to move her so she rested better against his arm. But it felt like she was getting heavier and heavier as they walked. It was not like she was fat; but she was one of the big cats with a lot of muscles.

And it had definitely not helped when the lynx had put chains on her. Her feet were bound together with cuffs made of metal, and her hands were in the same position.

"So?" Po asked through the wind. "Are we there yet?"

They were nearing the mountains where the prison was hidden, but that also meant that the two warriors were now walking in snow.

"Soon. I can see it," the lynx answered.

"Where?" the panda asked.

"There."

"Uhm… Where?"

"There!"

"But I only see snow!"

"Then get some better eyes!"

Po fell quiet after that. Tigress lay as still as if she was dead. Po wondered if the cold was bugging her as much as it was bugging him.

Finally, he could see the black gate in the distance. Walking more quickly, they soon stepped inside the prison. "Whoah…" Po breathed out. "Forgot how big it is. Hey, before you just disappear; are you ever going to give me your name?"

The lynx glared at him darkly. "No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't give it to strangers."

Po widened his eyes. "Strangers? We have been walking together for days. I think… And you just left without me noticing it again. Well, goodbye!" he yelled into the darkness as the warrior was already gone.

The panda then turned to face the rhino guards. "Oh hey! Is Master Shifu here?" Pause. "I'll take that grunt as a yes!"

"You can hand over the tiger now." One of the rhinos took a step forward.

Po then realized he was still holding Tigress in his arms. As he tried to hand her away, he realized it was like he was holding a baby. "Well, this is rather awkward…"

He did not know if he should lift her onto the rhino's arms, but then the guard reached forward, grabbed the tiger by the arm and pulled her onto the floor.

"Hey!" Po yelled as he saw how roughly they were handling her. "Listen; I really need to talk with Master Shifu about this-"

"I am right here, Po."

The panda swirled around to find Shifu staring at him, hands behind his back.

"Master Shifu!" Po exclaimed. "So… How was the trip?"

The red panda sighed. "It went well. Fenghuang has already been placed in her cell."

"Then… where's Tigress going to be?" Po asked, looking over his shoulder to watch two guards grabbing the unconscious Tigress' arms and started to drag her away. Her knees were touching the floor all the way and her head hung limply.

Shifu paused for a moment before saying, "They have rebuilt Tai Lung's cell."

"What?!" Po exclaimed. "Shifu, come on! We knew she was going to prison but this-"

"We'll talk about this another place, panda," Shifu told him sternly, referring to the many guards that were surrounding them.

Po nodded quietly and then followed his master to the room where he had been staying while waiting for Tigress to be caught. He closed the door behind him, making sure that no one could listen.

"Shifu, look-"

"I know what you are going to ask me for, Po." Shifu let his ears drop. "And I am afraid that my answer is no."

"But she doesn't deserve this! We both know that!"

"And we do also know that she killed Master Tiger!" Shifu reminded him sternly.

"But… but she did not know…"

"We must look at her actions, Po, and I believe that they speak clearly. Tigress must be punished."

Po groaned in frustration. "Listen, I miss Tiger. He was a great guy after all and what happened to him was just wrong. But he attacked her and Tigress did it in defense. And after what Fenghuang told her-"

"I am clearly aware of what Fenghuang has done, but this is not my decision!" Shifu said again, trying to make him understand. "The other masters know about Tigress' action as well and there is no doubt about that she is a threat."

"'A threat'? Shifu, you can teach her! You have done it before, right? Why not do it now?"

"I have taught her but it doesn't seem like it worked, does it?"

"Fenghuang spoiled it! If we just keep Tigress away from her-"

"So you are suggesting that I should take her away from her mother?" Shifu asked slowly to make the panda quiet.

Po thought about in a minute. Finally, he spoke, "Aren't you already doing that?"

Shifu opened his mouth but no words came out. Then he pulled himself together and asked, "Then what are you suggesting?"

"I… I don't exactly know. I just think that locking her up like this is a bad idea," Po tried to explain. "She has done a lot of things wrong… But you should have seen her when we caught her, Shifu! She just wants to live in peace! She knows what Fenghuang has done now; she finally believes it!"

Shifu raised an eyebrow in surprise. "How?"

Po shrugged. "I don't know. Someone must have told her!"

Shifu sighed. "Po, I wished there could be a happy ending for them. I truly do. But I don't think there is anything we can do."

"Of course there is!"

"What? Helping them break out of prison?"

"No! I… I don't know. But we can't just give up on them."

Then, a knock could be heard and the door became opened. Shifu was not happy about the interruption and his feelings could also be seen at his expression. "Longwei," he muttered as the person stepped inside. "Can it wait?"

"Oh, I didn't mean to interrupt. I just heard the Dragon Warrior had arrived," the leopard quickly explained. He then turned to the panda and bowed. "It's an honor."

"Whoah! You are Master Longwei! Member of the former Furious Five. Wait! You were Shifu's buddy?!" Po exclaimed.

Longwei grinned. "Still am."

Shifu's face darkened by the word 'buddy'.

"Po, you should rest. I'll think through this problem while you are gone. Just turn left and take the first door; then you'll be in your room."

The panda sensed that his master wanted him to leave. "Then, uhm, goodnight."

He quickly left the room, leaving Longwei and Shifu alone.

"Is the problem something I should be worried about?" the leopard asked, resting his back against the wall.

"No."

"Sure? I thought I heard you mention Fenghuang's name." Longwei gave Shifu a glare that told him that he had heard Po yell. "Don't say you are getting soft."

"If somebody in this room is soft then it isn't me," Shifu muttered under his breath. He did not like that the leopard never took anything seriously, and was therefore not in a good mood right now. "But yes; the Dragon Warrior is unsure whether Tigress should be punished or not."

The leopard raised an eyebrow. "Didn't she kill your student?"

"Yes," Shifu said. He would have said more but Longwei was too quick.

"Then doesn't that solve the question?" Longwei huffed. "Shifu, come on, isn't she-?"

"Tigress spent some time with my students after their capture. Apparently, they found out that Tigress had been tricked into believing that they were the villains, not the opposite." He paused. "Tigress believed that we banished Fenghuang and we therefore deserve to be punished. In her eyes, her mother was the hero."

"And now that has changed?"

Shifu nodded. "She knows that Fenghuang has lied, but will still do anything for her."

"You seriously aren't going to let her go, are you?! Please be kidding! Listen, Shifu, I know you took care of her when she was a kid or something, but she just isn't a kitty anymore. She has teeth, claws, Kung Fu! She killed one of your-"

"I am perfectly aware of what she has done," Shifu said sternly. "But-"

Longwei groaned. "No buts! Please!"

"Like you didn't want another fate for Fenghuang when we brought her here."

"Yeah, but I did not let her go!"

Shifu sighed and was about to leave the room, but Longwei then placed himself in front of him. "Fenghuang might deserve another chance, but the kid doesn't."

Shifu widened his eye slightly. "And how did you come to that conclusion?"

"We both know Fenghuang. Like _know_ her. She was our friend. We can get that Fenghuang back. But we don't know that cat. And honestly; I don't think she can change. I think she is being who she is, and then we can't change her."

"I know her," Shifu retorted. "I was at the orphanage-"

"And how was she then?" Longwei answered back. "A sweet little girl? Look, Shifu, I don't want any of them hurt. But I think the best thing would be to separate those two."

"Fenghuang and Tigress?"

"Who else? Look; Fenghuang made Tigress rotten, Tigress made Fenghuang rotten. If they spend some time alone, then maybe things will sort out."

"So they'll just have to stay in prison? In each cell?"

Longwei groaned and rubbed his head. "I don't know! This is just a mess." He sighed. "She should never have adopted."

"Longwei…"

"Seriously, did you ever think of her as a mother? I didn't. And if she hadn't found the tiger, then things would not have ended like this." Longwei was quiet in some moments as he thought about what he just had said. "Hey, didn't you say that you almost took her in as a student?"

Shifu's ears dropped slightly. "Yes."

"Then why didn't you?"

"I-"

"It's actually quite funny; imagine what would have happened!" Longwei exclaimed and left the room.

Shifu followed him with a dark glance. "Funny," he muttered darkly. As he saw how the leopard was heading towards his room, he quickly said, "Goodnight, Longwei." It came out a bit more stern that he had wanted.

"Goodnight. See ya tomorrow." He then closed the door and Shifu was standing alone in the hall.

What now?

Too many thoughts filled his head and Shifu knew that he would not be able to fall asleep right now. So he decided to do something completely else than going to bed.

He remembered another time where he walked through the long pathway of Chorh-Gom. This time he was going to see Tigress; not Tai Lung.

Yet, he had the horrible feeling of déjà vu when he stepped of the wooden elevator and onto the flat rock where Tigress had been placed.

She reminded him so horrible of Tai Lung.

The tiger was motionless with the shell and the big acupuncture needles keeping her in place. "Is she awake?" Shifu asked a guard that was standing on the elevator. He nodded and Shifu walked closer.

As he was less than a meter away from the bound tiger, he started to hear her breathing. It sounded like her lungs were filled with water. Oh, dear gods, she was crying.

But the fur underneath her eyes were dry; he saw that when he placed himself right in front of her. "Tigress?" he said but of course she did not answer.

Shifu tried to imagine how it must feel to be trapped in his own body; not able to move or talk. The red panda sighed. "I just wanted you to know that I am sorry that it ended this way."

He did not plan to have a long talk with her as he doubted anything he could say would be a help for her. If she did not hate him before than he was sure that she did now.

Because he was the one that held her and her mother captured.

"And I want to thank you for saving my students," he said. "Yes, Po did tell me about that."

Still there was silence.

He took in another breath. "And I want you to know that I did return to the orphanage. I would have brought you to the Jade Palace and made you my student. But I was too late. You were gone when I arrived."

He turned away from her, realizing he had nothing more to say. But before he walked away from the trapped tiger, he repeated himself, "I am sorry."

Shifu stepped into the elevator and was led away from Tigress who could do nothing but to remain where she was. Walking back to his room, Shifu let his ears drop.

A voice inside of him kept telling him that this was his fault. If he had been quicker, he would have rescued Tigress from such a fate. Tiger would not have been his student, though, but he would have been alive.

He had seen Tigress do Kung Fu. She had been amazing; defeating all of his students. She could have been a great master.

But now she was a prisoner of Chorh-Gom.

Why? Shifu asked himself that. Why was it that fate had been twisted this way? Why had he failed saving Tigress from a life in darkness?

Fenghuang.

Tigress was the way she was now because of the owl. If she just had arrived a little bit later, then Shifu would have found Tigress as the first. He would have taken the tiger away from the orphanage.

Why was it that the owl had decided to visit the orphanage that day?

With that question in his mind, Shifu entered Fenghuang's cell.

Placing himself right in front of her cage, he asked her, "Why did you adopt Tigress?"

* * *

A/N: The whole story is finally going to be revealed! Come on you didn't think that Fenghuang just wanted a daughter from the start? No, the story she gave Tigress is not completely true.

Why do you think she did it? I know I might have revealed it through the whole story, but you don't know the whole background of her decision and so on.

Oh, and the Yun-qi drawing is finished. I just need to upload it; I think it will happen in the next week.


	29. The Good Parent

A/N: So looking forward to the truth? I am! Just kidding; I knew this very long time ago! Now I just decided to share it with you! I am so evil! Actually, I am not! I am just not liking happy-happy plots! *whispering* I am not evil… Trust me…

And people might tell me; "hey, you just updated this story. You should update your other stories." But you know what? I am the write and I feel like writing this story! Muhahaha! (Yeah, sorry for that part. I was in a really weird mood when I wrote that)

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, The Good Parent **

"Go away," Fenghuang hissed, obviously not wanting to talk with the master.

But now Shifu would not give up. He wanted the truth; he needed it. "Look what you have done, Fenghuang," he said slowly and coldly. "Tigress is here."

"Because of you," she said quickly.

"No. Because of _you_. And I want the whole story, Fenghuang. Why did you have to ruin her life?" he hissed slowly. He remembered Tigress as a cub, and now, seeing what Fenghuang had created of her, made him angry.

"Why should I tell you?" she hissed back, actually having a great point.

"Because I will try and get Tigress out of here."

His answer surprised her and she widened her eyes. "You will?" she asked, stunned.

He nodded. "But I need the whole story," Shifu told her sternly. "The story you did not tell."

She snorted. "What is there to tell? I got lonely, and adoption is a very good choice in that case."

Shifu met her eyes. "That was the story you told Tigress. But I don't believe it."

"Too bad for you!"

"How did you hear of her?" he asked her. "I don't exactly think you visited Bao Gu often."

Fenghuang's eyes became distant. "She was wonderful," she told him quietly. "Right from the start."

"Tigress?" Shifu asked trying to keep up with the owl.

She continued as if she had not heard him. "Born with the talent of Kung Fu. You saw her, Shifu. You knew what she could, even before I trained her."

"A strength that needed to be controlled."

Fenghuang wanted to shake her head, but could not because of the cage. "Not controlled," she told him sternly. "She had to use it."

"No, Fenghuang; that is where you went wrong."

"It's a part of her. It's a part of who she is! She needs her strength! She has to use it! Is she had not been trained, then she would have hidden it inside of her. And finally, it would have broken out. What I did saved her," Fenghuang told him.

"What you did led her the wrong way," Shifu said sternly.

"Like you wouldn't have trained her!"

"I would have. But you came first," he sighed.

Fenghuang smiled proudly. "I did."

"So that is what it was about," Shifu muttered quietly. "I fight over a piece of toy."

The owl looked offended. "She's my daughter! Not just some thing!" She squinted as she looked at him. "But of course you wouldn't know that."

His ears flattened against his head. "What do you mean?"

She snorted. "You keep saying that I am a bad parent. But at least I am not the one who gave up on their child!"

"I did not!" Shifu hissed.

"You left Tai Lung here! I would call that-"

Shifu stood on his staff but now brought his face as close to hers as he could. "I am the only way to get Tigress out of here. If I wanted to, I could just leave now."

Fenghuang fell quiet and just stared at her. Her beak was tightly closed.

Shifu continued hissing, "And I am not here to talk about Tai Lung. I am here to hear why you chose Tigress. And if I hear another lie come from you, then I will have no choice but let Tigress stay where she is right now."

Fenghuang was mildly shocked. Shifu was truly angry right now. But, of course, Tai Lung was a sore subject for the red panda. Even though the owl wished to continue talking about the snow leopard just to punish Shifu, she knew she had to watch her words.

"I was angry," she said lowering her glance. "I _am _angry. When you turned your back to me… You should try how it feels, Shifu. You give up on people so easily."

"Fenghuang," he said warningly.

She blinked. "I returned to the valley for revenge. But I did not know how to face Oogway. I knew I might had a chance against him, but then there was you." She glared angrily at him. "I needed something, someone, to distract you so you couldn't try something."

"So you found Tigress…"

"It was by accident, honestly. I was on my way to storm the Jade Palace when I saw you walking alone. You entered an orphanage, and so I had to found out what was going on. In disguise I talked when some villagers and got the whole story."

Shifu now understood. "You found your distraction."

"If you saw something in her then she was good enough. I was sure of that. She had talent and you did not deserve her. I could not let you have her. You were already strong enough," she finished in a soft tone.

"A fight over a piece of toy…"

Fenghuang now decided that she just as well could tell him everything. "She was never meant to be my daughter. She was meant to be my student. _My s_tudent so she could not be _yours_. With another enemy by my side I could easily defeat both of you. And when you got students… I knew Tigress was just perfect. I needed a warrior that would be loyal to me."

"So you found one who didn't know what you had done. Someone who's mind you could still manipulate," Shifu almost whispered.

"They wronged her," Fenghuang told him. "They wronged me. _You _wronged me."

"Defending our master was the right thing to do!"

"You didn't defend him," she hissed. "You were just behind the scenes. Being good little students-"

"We had to stop you, Fenghuang."

She laughed. "Stop me? Oogway's was lucky. Cheated. If it hadn't been for the cage…" She then remembered where she was and trailed off. Stupid cage. "And don't you think I don't know who built it. He might act ever so innocent and stupid as always, but I know it was his idea. You really know how to spit on me, Shifu; bringing Longwei here so both of you can watch me suffer."

"Your actions needs to be punished, Fenghuang," Shifu told her.

"I never understood why you didn't just attack my mountain. But no; you decided to let me live and have my freedom _as long as_ I did not leave the mountain. You could have captured me. But apparently you did not think of me as a big threat. I actually feel offended. But I guess I proved you all wrong."

"You turned Tigress into a murderer. Aren't you just a bit ashamed?" Shifu asked her, trying to keep his voice calm.

The owl caught his eyes and did not let go of his glance. "You don't care about her," she told him sternly, sure about what she was saying. "She already hated you when I found her. Because you gave up on her."

Shifu suck in a breath. "I-"

She cut him off, again, "She is more talented than any students you have ever seen." Her voice was filled with proudness. "Of course I loved her. I am her mother. No reason to deny that. I love her. And if you ever hurt her, Shifu, I promise you that you will regret it."

"Have you told her this?" he asked her, ignoring her last comment. "Does she know the true story? Or does she still believe that you wanted her as a daughter from the start."

The owl was quiet for a moment. Then she said, "There is no need to tell her." As Shifu became quiet she watched him. As she realized what he was thinking she widened her eyes. "Don't you dare tell her!" she hissed, knowing the truth would break the tiger.

"She deserves the truth," Shifu said slowly. "She has been living without for too long, and look what has happened to her now."

"You said you would help her get out," Fenghuang reminded him. When he did not reply, she nearly growled, "Shifu…"

"I will try and explain the situation for the other masters."

She squinted. "You lied."

"I can't take away her punishment, but I doubt she will stay here as long as you."

"Of course she will!" Fenghuang exclaimed. "No one will dare to have her on the loose. Without me she will never calm down."

Shifu just stared at her, and she understood that he already knew that. "You are just going to let her rot up here," she whispered. "I thought at least you had some conscience, but now I see that I was wrong. But of course I was just being stupid, since you never fight for anyone."

"How-?"

"You left your own son in the prison, you coward!" the owl exclaimed, sending him another blaming glance. "And you are calling me a bad parent!"

"This is not about Tai Lung!"

"Then what is it about? You want to know why I am here, Shifu? I am here because I will do anything for my daughter. I will rot up here if it means that she will get out. Because I support my child and I will not turn my back against her. I will not be like you."

Shifu suck in a breath, desperately trying to find some words to spit back in her face. He found none.

"I care about Tigress. I know what I have done wrong, I am fully aware of it so I don't need you telling me it. But I will make things right. I don't care about you or Longwei or your students or the other masters! I care about her. And if you don't keep your promise and get her out of here I swear I'll do it myself."

"You can't," Shifu told her, somewhat shakily.

"You don't know me, Shifu. You never did." She paused, taking in a deep breath. "And now it is too late for both of us. But you said you would help her and you _will_ help her."

"As I told you I'll speak with the-"

"That's not getting her out of here. It can't be too hard for you to loosen her bonds, can it?"

Shifu understood what she meant and dropped his ears. "I can't do that," he told her.

"Coward!" she hissed again. "You promised!"

"She killed. My student was murdered."

"The fault is mine, we both know that!"

He gave her a sad glance. "But it is Tigress who has bloody paws. I cannot change that. I am sorry." He jumped off the staff and started walking away. "For being too late."

"You said you would free her!" Fenghuang yelled and her cage started shake. "You said you would!"

But Shifu kept walking.

"You never deserved Tai Lung! A father doesn't give up on their son! You are one big coward, Shifu! You turn your back to everyone who disappoints you! Without giving them another chance! Coward!"

Shifu's ears now lay flat against his head but did not look back.

"You already left Tigress locked up once! Are you going to do it again?!"

Shifu slammed the door shut with a loud bang, shielding himself from more of Fenghuang's curses.

* * *

Tigress was alone.

It was dark and she was alone.

There was nothing. She was stuck in nothing.

Her body was trapped and she could not speak. It was like she was frozen or made of stone. She was stuck, trapped, and there was nothing she could do.

Her muscles refused to move, to hear what her mind told them. Her body was in agony and her mind had been fuzzy in the start.

Now her mind was the only thing she had left. That, and her ears and eyes.

But in front of her was only darkness. A few time there had been persons but her tired mind had simply not be able to think through who they were and why they were here.

Though, she remembered Shifu. He had been there, she was sure of that. And he had apologized… Saying that he had tried to adopt her, to take her in as a student, but her mother had been too fast. He has said that he had never abandoned her…

But his apology did not matter because now she was here. Alone. Betrayed. Stuck. _Alone_.

Shifu did not matter anymore. The only thing that mattered was getting out from here.

It was… It was just like Bao Gu. It was so horrible much like the orphanage. She was locked up, as the bad guy, now being punished.

And when she looked up, she could sometimes see the forms of the guards that were keeping an eye on her. Whispering.

Talking about her.

_Monster. Monster. Monster._

They were scared of her. She was covered in blood, flames in her eyes, darkness in her heart. She was nothing but pure evil; raised by the darkness itself.

Not even her birthparents had wanted her.

Maybe she had none. Maybe they had been demons, only wanting to spread more darkness.

And Fenghuang had been the one to teach her how to use her evil.

Now they were being punished and everything was good again. Happy ending.

They were mocking her. Because before she was strong but now she was weak. Helpless. In chains.

She was alone. Nobody wanted her. Nobody was going to save her.

Not even her mother.

She was the one who caused this. Had she gotten her revenge on Shifu now? Was she satisfied? Was this really worth it?

Tigress had cried for a mother but no sound had come out. The only person she had left had abandoned her.

She had been hoping, waiting. All alone with her thoughts she had wondered how Tai Lung had survived twenty years here.

Tigress had no idea of how long she had been here, but it felt like forever.

And her mother did not come. No matter how much Tigress begged and called for her, she did not come.

Fenghuang had promised she would always been there.

She had lied.

Here in the darkness, Tigress was alone. And she gave up.

_Monster. Monster. Monster. _

* * *

A/N: Wow… A depressing chapter. Hope you liked it though. The talk between Shifu and Fenghuang… I came up with that conversation over a month ago! It just suddenly came to me! So I wrote it down and now I can finally publish it together with this chapter! I really liked it, so I hope you did too!

And I promise; there will soon come more action! Promise! Or should I just end it here? Muhahaha! 'Happe ending' as Tigress so wisely said! Muhaha!


	30. Sweet Freedom

A/N: And I am back. Have I ever told you that this is my favorite story to write? It is, and I have already made so many scenes that are going to fill the next many chapters in the future.

Because this story is far from over! (Isn't that happy news?!)

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Sweet Freedom **

The cell was quiet. Fenghuang allowed herself to rest, taking in deep breath of the air she could get. She needed to relax. She needed her mind to be clear if she had to come up with a plan.

It was almost funny how much things had changed. She remembered fighting along with Longwei and Shifu; she remembered helping them in battles.

Now everything was just different. And why? Because of her choices? Because of theirs?

Fenghuang was not completely sure of what had happened to Tigress, but she knew she was somewhere here in Chorh-Gom. But she was sure of the fact that she needed to get her child away from here as quick as possible.

Tigress should not go through this trauma. Not again. Had she not been hurt enough already?

Shifu had just proven the fact that trusting him was a bad idea. Stupid mouse! He never kept his promises; he would always find a back to shove a knife into.

Yet, Fenghuang could not stop thinking about his words. Was all this really her fault? Yes, of course; but now all of it. If Shifu and the others had just stayed away then Tigress would not be here.

So technically it was not her fault.

Fenghuang had once promised herself one thing; she would never forgive Shifu for what he had done. But now she was considering breaking that promise.

If Shifu helped Tigress out of here, then she would forgive him. Though, she doubted he would.

Fenghuang closed her eyes to give herself some sleep.

* * *

Shifu could not sleep. His mind was racing, thoughts were leaving his head before he even finished them. How… How dared she? She had no right to speak to him like this!

She was the prisoner! She should know her place!

But then again; when was the last time Fenghuang had known her place?

Longwei had once told him that it was because she was a restless soul. She was searching for something she could not find, but she just could not stop before she finally would find it. First then she would be able to rest.

Shifu wished he could help her with fighting it, so all this could be over.

Looking at the dark room he slept in, Shifu decided he would leave Chorh-Gom as quick as possible. There was nothing he could do here. Besides, this place brought up some unpleasant memories.

"What did she say?"

Shifu turned around, seeing the leopard in the end of the room. "I did not hear you come in," Shifu said quietly.

Longwei shrugged. "I was always the best at stealth-mode. I saw you walking away from her cell. Am I right when I say that she was yelling?"

Shifu did not nod and said nothing, but Longwei took it as a yes. "Maybe you should not upset her."

"She is already upset," Shifu told him.

"Quite understandable. So did she tell you the story?" He came closer, wanting to hear more.

The red panda nodded. "She needed a weapon. And then she saw me visiting the orphanage…"

"I see. A shame, really."

Shifu did not answer.

"So… What now?" Longwei asked him.

"What is there to do?" Shifu answered with a question. "We brought them here. That was our mission."

"I thought you found the punishment too harsh."

"I'll… I'll still try and talk with the other masters about Tigress' future," Shifu told him after pausing a bit.

Longwei raised in eyebrow. "But not Fenghuang's?"

Shifu gave him a grim smile. "It's too late now, Longwei. Fenghuang is too aware of that."

"You know I hate giving up on things."

"I know." Shifu paused. "But do you know that she knows that it was your idea?"

Longwei immediately became confused. "What?"

"The cage. It was you who came with that suggestion. She knows that," Shifu said softly.

Longwei squinted. "Did you tell her?" he growled silently.

Shifu met his eyes and his expression became cold. "No," he said sternly. "I did not."

"Then how does she know?" Longwei asked him.

"I guess she made her research after she left. Or maybe she knew all along. That would not surprise me," Shifu muttered.

"Don't tell me she is blaming all this on me!" Longwei exclaimed. "Yes, it was mine idea, but I never thought Oogway was going to use it. When he told us about what he believed would happen… I did not believe him."

Shifu too remembered the night where Oogway had called them together; all but Fenghuang. He had told them about how he feared she would turn on them. And he had asked them if they had any suggestions of what to do.

Longwei had just randomly talked about an owl-shaped cage; probably just as a joke as not of them truly did believe that their friend would become evil. But later that night Master Oogway had asked the leopard if he would build it for him.

Stunned, Longwei had said yes; still refusing to believe though.

When the others found out, the leopard had made them promise that they would never mention this for Fenghuang. She would never forgive him if she knew. His joke had suddenly grown serious, and he doubted that the owl would understand.

But she knew.

"Neither did I," Shifu said quietly. "But Master Oogway right. He always was."

Longwei was quiet for some moments. "She talked about Tai Lung, didn't she? I am sure I heard her yell his name," he then suddenly said, changing subject.

Shifu flattened his ears again. "She did. But there is no reason to bring that up again."

"Maybe she is right," Longwei hummed.

The red panda widened his eyes, hissing, "What exactly are you saying, Longwei?"

"Don't be offended, Shifu," the leopard said calmly. "I just said it was a shame what happened to Tai Lung."

But Shifu was still angry. This was a sore subject, and for some reason people kept bringing it up today! And he just was not in the mood.

"Enough said about Tai Lung!" he exclaimed, but then took in some deep breaths. "We are leaving tomorrow."

"Shifu…"

"We were too late to make a difference, Longwei," Shifu sighed with his back turned to him.

"But not too late to change what is wrong."

Shifu was too tired to start a discussion, so he just left the room quickly without a word.

* * *

_Whisper. Whisper. Whisper. _

Tigress looked up, eyes more red than normally. She had seen the guards many times throughout the time she had been here, but she had not seen this person before.

She only had the strength to hold up her head for about ten seconds; then she grew tired and let it drop down again to stare at the ground.

It was a leopard. In the time that she had been watching him, she had seen he was old with gray fur and deep eyes. He was wearing a black vest and trousers in the same color. But she did not know his name.

She heard the leopard letting out some muffled sounds as he kneeled down in front of her. He then grabbed her chin gently and lifted up her head so she could look at him.

Tigress met his blue eyes. He was looking into her tired, golden eyes that were glowing in the darkness. If Tigress could, she would have pulled herself away from his grasp.

The leopard looked at her closely, sometimes turning her head a bit. Finally, he lifted up her head so much that her neck became uncomfortable straightened. Tigress tried to growl, but once again found out that she could not.

Instead she made her eyes hard, but the way her head was hold, she could not see him. In this position, Tigress suddenly realized that if the leopard wanted to, he could kill her right now. Her throat was unprotected; a single slash could do it.

But did she want him to do it?

Tigress was unsure; being here was worse than anything she had tried. Even the orphanage. Her mother was gone, Tigress understood that now, and there was no one left to care for her.

Maybe they had already executed her mother. If that was right, then at least it meant that her mother had not exactly given up on her.

Maybe death was the best thing right now.

But then the leopard lowered her head down again, looking into her eyes. His claws had sprung out, pricking the skin on her chin.

What was he doing?

Looking into his eyes, Tigress saw his anger. Definitely an enemy. Too bad she could not punch him.

Then he let go of her and turned to walk back to the wooden elevator.

Tigress watched him go, seeing his feet walking away. Then he was gone and she was left with nothing but silence.

_Whisper. Whisper. Whisper. _

* * *

Fenghuang was sleeping when the door to her cell became opened with a loud slam. Immediately, her eyes sprung open and she was awake.

In the next second, she saw Shifu staring through the hole in her cage, ears laid back. He was clearly not in a good mood.

Fenghuang could not help but smile a little; she had always been the best to annoy the red panda.

"I am not the enemy in all this," Shifu told her quickly, voice almost shaking of anger. It was clear that he was trying to act calm, but was very close to failing. "What happened here is not my fault, Fenghuang. It is yours, and I truly hope that you have the powers to fix it."

The owl looked amused. "You are asking me if I am strong enough?" she asked mockingly, aware of the fact that she was the strongest of the two of them.

"Tigress does not trust me. I can't help her in the position she is in right now. The position you brought her into. When you left us, Fenghuang, we were unable to stay together. And all the time I was blaming you…" He paused. "If you escaped from here, what would you do, Fenghuang?"

"With or without Tigress?"

"Your choice."

"There is no leaving unless it is with Tigress," Fenghuang said sternly.

Shifu eyed her. "And what then?"

"Then I would bring her somewhere safe." When she saw that Shifu still looked like he needed an answer, she asked, "What exactly do you want to hear, Shifu?"

"Longwei keeps believing in you. I want to know if he is right. I want to know if you have changed back. Because right now, Fenghuang, I do not trust you."

She blinked. "And what would it take to get you to trust me?"

Shifu's expression did not change. "Maybe when you stopped hurting me," he answered coldly. He then jumped off his staff and left cell.

Fenghuang was stunned the minutes after his visit. What exactly had he wanted here? She was truly confused by the way he had acted.

Okay, maybe she had gone a bit too far when she had mentioned Tai Lung. But hey; he had hurt her too!

No reason to go crazy over that.

As Fenghuang thought about what he might have wanted, she tried to move inside her cage to feel a bit more comfortable. As she did, her cage suddenly let out a creak.

What?

With more force this time, Fenghuang turned around inside her cage again. A she did, the metal cage started to creak even more, before it finally broke into different pieces of metal and it all feel the ground. The cage was not destroyed and left was a free Fenghuang.

Eyes widened in shock, Fenghuang tried to find a reason to what had just happened. Wha-?

S_hifu._

Looking closer at what was left of her cage, Fenghuang understood that somebody must have picked with the lock that kept it all together.

And since she had been stuck in there, only one person could have done that.

But why had Shifu done it? Why had he wanted her free?

Did he not hate her?

Fenghuang raised an eyebrow. Well played, Shifu. He sure had tricked her there. Acting like he was furious… Wait; he was probably actually furious. But he had loosened her cage without her noticing it.

He was good.

Squinting in amusement, Fenghuang understood what she now could do. She could herself and Tigress out of here!

But then she remembered what Shifu had asked her about. Was he in reality just testing her to see if she really would try and save Tigress?

Well, staying here would make no sense, so Fenghuang decided she would show those guards what they deserved. Slowly walking towards the door, she understood a guard was standing on the other side of it. Quickly opening the door, she hit her head before he could utter a word. Throwing him into the cell, she soundlessly closed the door behind her.

Now she just needed to free Tigress. Carefully taking out every guard she met on the way without making any sounds, Fenghuang flew down to the place where Tigress was kept. Hiding herself in the shadows, she waited until she was sure that no guard would see her.

Then she rushed forward and put her wing into the lock on Tigress' shell. Seconds after it opened and the acupuncture needles were released.

"Tigress?" she whispered, quickly grabbing every piece of the shell before they could touch the ground and make a sound.

The tiger was still bound by the big chains that were on her wrists, and two big stones underneath the platform were attached to those chains. Fenghuang knew that when she broke them, she could not help but make a noise.

Placing the metal on the floor, she walked in front of Tigress.

The tiger looked up. "Mother?" she whispered, confused.

Fenghuang gently laid a feather on her lips. "Shh… We are going to get out of here," she whispered. She then looked around and saw that the guards soon would come in a position where they would see them. "You ready?"

Tigress gave a short nod, eyes still widened. Fenghuang understood that they were going to have a long talk together once they got out of here.

Hitting both chains on the same time, one win used on each chain, Fenghuang cut Tigress lose.

Seconds after a yell could be heard, "Prisoners escaping!"

Tigress quickly got up, eyes wild as she tried to pull herself together. The next moment arrows were shut at them, but Fenghuang quickly deflected them all her with wings. "Tigress, we…"

As she turned around the face her daughter, she saw that the tiger was already facing someone else.

Longwei.

* * *

A/N: Dun dun dun! What? You did not really believe that I would let the rot up in Chorh-Gom, did you? So big fight scenes are coming up! You guys ready for it? Oh, and you might hate me (again) after the next chapter. Just saying.

I know, I know. Where is Yun-qi's drawing? It is finished; but there will go some time before it gets out. Sorry.

So, guys, ready to celebrate the fact that this story now have 30 chapters?!


	31. Numb Poison

A/N: And I am back! I just… feel like writing this story! I know that some of you are waiting for me to update "Long Lost, Long Hidden", but I just need a very little break from them right now. Just to get my inspiration back for that story. So yeah… Gotta forgive me for that!

It's crazy! 31 chapters! I sure hope you guys like the plot! If not… Eh, you can always try and write what you think should happy, but I have kinda made the whole plot. Except the ending. Yes, I like to tease you, my dear readers!

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Numb Poison **

"Tigress!" Fenghuang shrieked, but the tiger did not move. Instead Tigress glared at the leopard, her body tense so she was ready to move if necessary.

Longwei had his paw on the hilt of his sword that was hanging from the belt around his waist. Still glaring at Tigress, he spoke to Fenghuang, "I knew you would find a way to get out."

Fenghuang slowly walked closer. She was not sure if Longwei too would help them, but right now he did not seem like a friend. "You should know that I would."

Above her, the owl could hear the guards screaming that they should stop firing because Master Longwei was down there. She narrowed her eyes while Tigress just stared at the leopard, not knowing what else to do.

"I am afraid that I can't let you continue," the leopard stated.

"And I am afraid that you can't stop us," Fenghuang told him sternly, but as she took another step forward, Longwei rose his sword.

As he brought up his weapon, Tigress took her fighting stance. She growled, recognizing him as the leopard who had visited her while being stuck.

"Tigress," Fenghuang said calmly, eyes set on Longwei. "Get ready to escape; I am handling him."

Longwei snorted. "Like I would hit a cub anyway."

Tigress widened her eyes, snarling as he called her a cub. She was about to take another step forward, but Fenghuang gently pushed her away. "Now," she said sternly.

Finally the tiger did was she was told. She backed away, only a little, to watch her mother taking her fighting stance.

Longwei sighed. "Do we really have to do this, Fenghuang?"

"We do; unless you back down."

The leopard made himself ready to fight. "I have a responsibility, Fenghuang."

"Really?" she asked with a snort. "Doesn't sound like you."

His mouth was reduced to a thing line. As he ran forward, Fenghuang spun around kicking him away. As she did, she yelled, "Tigress!" When she stopped spinning, she leaned forward, allowing the tiger to jump and land on her back. She then straightened up, helping Tigress with jumping even higher.

The tiger unsheathed her claws as she sprung at the wall, burying them in the rock. She then quickly made her way to the nearest bridge where she would face the first soldiers.

Fenghuang waited for Longwei to attack again. He faced her. "How did you get out?" he asked her.

"Aw; thought you little cage was flawless, did you?" she asked him mockingly.

He ran forward, swinging his sword. Fenghuang dodged it, but then felt the leopard's fist coming towards her face. She turned her head around, avoiding it. But the leopard then kicked her and Fenghuang was forced meters away.

Suddenly, arrows were shot again, and Fenghuang flew up to avoid them. But Longwei jumped and tried to kick her in the air. She easily dodged and he landed on the platform.

Fenghuang looked down at him. "Still no wings," she reminded him.

"That doesn't make me weak," he said calmly and suddenly kicked something that flew towards her. Fenghuang barely had the time to see that it was one of the big acupuncture needles, before she had to fly away to avoid getting hit.

Longwei kept kicking them at her, but she either dodged or blocked. "You have to be better than that," she teased him, then flew down at him with her claws ready to injure them.

But the leopard was quick and jumped when she was close at him. With a kick to her head, she stumbled backwards. She turned her head around to glare angrily at him. "And I thought you did not want to fight me."

"You were once perfect, Fenghuang," he said, leaping at her. "Until you changed."

She blocked it. "I know you were in love with me, Longwei. You were the one who adored me the most." She tried to cut him with her wings, but he continued stepping backwards. "And the funny thing is that you never changed your feelings. And you never blamed me."

The owl managed to kick him in the chest. "I should feel honored. If not it was because it is so foolish."

Longwei stopped attacking for a moment, looking up at her.

She continued, "I never needed you. You just did not realize it. And when I changed… You blamed everybody else than me." She leaned closer to him. "You blame my daughter."

Fenghuang let out a laugh. "You are so easy to look through. I was your teammate, idol, hero… And you did never change your feelings. Poor Longwei; always stuck!"

He rushed forward, but she flew upwards before he could touch her. "At least I stayed out of prison."

"Really, Longwei? You still seem stuck to me."

"I…"

A sharp cry came from above them, and Fenghuang looked up to see Tigress digging her claws into the side of the bridge to avoid falling down. She hung there for some seconds, before quickly pulling herself up on safe ground, back to fighting the guards.

Fenghuang watched this with worry filling her head, but she let relief when she saw that her daughter could handle it. Of course she could. She was a skilled fighter.

She had trained her.

Now Longwei used this moment of distraction to try and use his sword again. But she was too fast and stepped aside, though it managed to touch her left wing and cut the skin underneath the feathers.

Fenghuang first glanced at her wing, then at the leopard in front of her. She scowled. "You missed," she said as he had been aiming to kill her or seriously injure her. This was just a scratch.

Longwei looked at her with a sorrowful expression and opened his mouth to say something. But before he could utter a word, Fenghuang flew up while spinning around, knocking him away.

The owl then flew towards the bridge where Tigress was. As she landed she saw how the tiger successfully was defeating the guards. Tigress quickly finished the last guard on this level and turned to her mother.

Fenghuang spread her wings again and grabbed the tiger by the shoulders. They flew up, avoiding many guards until some started to shoot arrows at them again. Fenghuang let go of the tiger who gracefully landed on this bridge, immediately starting to attack the guards.

Tired of wasting time here, Fenghuang used her wings to cut everybody who got near, and just before Tigress could leap at another enemy, she was grabbed again.

Fenghuang placed her at the highest bridge near the exit, and when they landed, she used both of her wings to blew the guards of it, leaving them falling down while screaming. "Go to the end," she instructed Tigress before flying again.

She flew to the ceiling, looking at the stalactites.

Tigress watched her mother, but then suddenly turned around as she sensed somebody behind her. In front of the big gate that led to freedom were Shifu and Po.

"Tigress?" the panda called, sounding a bit confused.

She took her fighting stance, but did not attack. Instead she eyed them. Shifu was watching her calmly which confused Tigress. Po looked like he could not decide whether to attack or comfort her.

"Move away," she then told them.

Po looked at his master, then took a step forward and took his fighting stance. "Sorry, Tigress," he muttered, understanding that he had to do this as the Dragon Warrior.

"Move away!" she yelled again, this time more frantic.

When he did not, she growled and was about to leap at him. But before she could do so, they all heard a noise that made their head turn upwards to try and see what was going on.

It was Fenghuang who was using her sharp feathers to cut the stalactites, making the big pieces of rock to fall down. Widening her eyes in surprise, Tigress jumped forward.

Po thought she was going to attack and dodged, only to find out that she had landed behind him. In the next second, the falling stalactites hit the bridges, causing them to break.

"Whoah!" Po exclaimed as the ground he stood on started to crack. As he jumped towards the safe ground where Tigress and Shifu were standing on, he tripped as the piece of rock he stood on started to fall.

Tigress, remembering that Po had actually tried to help her at that time in the cave, sprung forwards, grabbing the panda by the arm, while using her other paw to grab the stone ground.

Po stared at her with widened eyes, then she had enough strength to pull him up. As soon as he was on safe ground, Tigress hit his head with her paw, causing him to fall forwards, landing on his face.

Shifu had been staring at the scene with widened eyes, stunned, but then realize he had to react. But before he could move towards Tigress, something landed on his back, forcing him down. It was Fenghuang, who was finished watching the chaos as all the bridges collapsed, and now was knocking Shifu down.

She looked at Tigress, and commanded, "Go."

Tigress kicked the large door open and ran outside. Fenghuang let go of Shifu and then flew out too. Grabbing her daughter again, she took off and they both became hidden in the clouds that were covering the sky.

Po slowly got up, rubbing his head. "Ouch… That did not exactly go well." He looked around, seeing the chaos around me. "Is everybody okay?" he asked nervously.

"Not quite," a voice said and they turned to see Longwei landing on the bridge. "They managed to kill or hurt a lot of the guards."

"Are you injured?" Shifu asked, getting up too.

"I am fine," he answered shortly. "I just thought it was impossible for her to escape."

Shifu glanced at the ground. "It seems she is stronger than expected."

"What now?" Po asked, seeing how the guards who were still alive were starting to get up.

"You can help them," Longwei said shortly. "There should be some medical stuff around here somewhere. I think… I am not exactly used at being here."

"What about Fenghuang? And Tigress?" Po asked while trying to figure out how to come away from the piece of bridge he was standing on.

"They can't travel far away."

Shifu raised an eyebrow. "And how do you know that, Longwei?"

The leopard looked at his sword. "I still use my trick," he muttered.

The red panda widened his eyes. "Poison?"

"Wait; what?" Po said, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Hit her wing," Longwei muttered. "It's only a matter of time before she has to land. And then she will try and find an antidote."

Shifu took a step forward. "Do you even know what you are doing?" he asked him calmly.

Longwei met his eyes. "I thought we had decided that she was the enemy," he answered coldly.

The Grandmaster eyed him. "As long as you know the consequences of your choices."

* * *

"Mother?" Tigress asked quietly.

Fenghuang looked down shortly. "Yes?"

"Thank you."

Sighing, the owl replied, "It was my fault anyways."

"What now? Where are we going to live?" the tiger asked her again, avoiding to look down as flying not exactly was her favorite thing to do. Not having solid ground under her feet was not exactly calming.

Fenghuang was quiet in some time. "I don't know."

Tigress opened her mouth, but then closed it again. What could she say? "I am not mad."

"Excuse me?" the owl asked, confused.

"I am not mad at you," Tigress repeated. "You did not tell the whole truth… But I had a happy life."

Fenghuang closed her eyes. "I am happy to hear that. My daughter."

"How did you get out?"

"Long story," Fenghuang sighed. "How did you get caught? I thought I told you to run."

"I did!" Tigress said sternly. "I did, but you didn't come! So I waited for you in a cave…"

Fenghuang sighed. "Tigress…"

"They were waiting outside the cave," she said quietly. "And the panda… He said he would help. I ignored him and ran outside. There was a net. And then there was some arrow… I woke up in that place." She was silent before saying, "I thought you had left me."

"Never."

"We can't go home, can we?" Tigress asked. "To our cave?"

"No," the owl said. "They will search there."

"And the Jade Palace?"

"It's not ours anymore."

"Has it ever been?"

Fenghuang chuckled sadly. "No. I don't think so."

They then flew in silence as Fenghuang thought about what to do. Where could they live? If they were not hated before, they definitely were now. Apparently, escaping from Chorh-Gom was not a thing that made you popular.

They flew in some hours, Tigress growing more and more uncomfortable with hanging there in the air. Fenghuang too wanted to land, as she had trouble controlling her left wing. It was annoying her, and sometimes it caused the wing to make some rapid movements.

"What's wrong?" Tigress asked, noticing how they became unbalanced.

Fenghuang squinted. "Must be the cut," she muttered.

But as the time went, she noticed how her wing felt more and more numb. That was when she remembered how Longwei often had used poison on his blades.

"Darn it!" she muttered under her breath, but Tigress heard it.

"What is it?"

"Nothing," Fenghuang quickly answered.

But Tigress did not buy it. "Is it your wing?"

The owl sighed. "Longwei…"

"The leopard?"

"Yes, I am going to tell you about him later." She sighed again. "I have a lot to tell you… But I fear my wing has maybe been poisoned."

"Is it lethal?" Tigress quickly asked.

"I will handle it, Tigress. Don't worry."

But the tiger did not like the thought of poison in her mother's body. Besides; her mother had not truly answered the question. "How?"

"I…" Fenghuang knew she had to find an antidote and fast. But where? "We'll have to land soon." Suddenly she got an idea. "And I know where."

Tigress was quiet as she forced herself to believe her mother's calming words. She then noticed how the surroundings under her changed and she could now see that they were in some sort of valley.

"This is not the Valley of Peace," she muttered.

"Of course not," Fenghuang answered. "This is my birthplace."

* * *

A/N: And I'll end it here. Okay, the situation is not as bad as feared… See; I am not evil. And I promise you the next chapters will have flashbacks of mini Fenghuang! Who is looking forward to that?!


	32. Bedtime Stories

A/N: Wow! I just keep updating this story, don't I?! But… I am just so inspired! It's crazy how inspired I am! Seriously! And it kinda makes me sad, because the more I update this story, the closer we come to the end! :o

Ready to baby Fenghy? ;)

Thank you! 400 reviews; that's amazing!

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Bedtime Stories **

"It's gonna be a rough landing," Fenghuang called to Tigress. "Very rough. You ready to jump?"

"Yes!" Tigress called through the wind. Heavy rainclouds could be seen in the distance and now they wanted a safe place to stay before they got soaked wet.

Fenghuang looked down and saw a spot of dried, brown grass. Not perfect, but it would be softer than rock. "Then here you go," she said and let go of her shoulder.

Tigress landed easily on all fours, quickly looking up to see how her mother was doing. Fenghuang's left wing was now almost useless, and her flying became more and more uneasy. Now she had to land and she was not looking forward to it.

Bracing herself, she headed towards the grounds, her wings moving rapidly to try and slow her speed. But because of her wing, her body tilted and she felt herself smashing against the ground. A loud snap could be heard, and Fenghuang damaged more than her pride.

When she finally got up, her injured wing was hanging limply. "I swear I am going to break his neck!" she hissed, while looking at her wound. The wing was broken and poisoned; that meant it was no use for her. No flying… And she still had to find the antidote.

"Are you okay?" Tigress asked, jumping down from the nearby hill to land in front of her.

"Don't you worry; the wing was useless before it broke," she told the tiger.

Tigress did not look convinced. "You sure?"

Fenghuang puffed out her feathery chest. "Of course I am. Now, it cannot be far away."

"What?"

"My old home. It should be just around the corner if I remember right. And I a_lways_ remember right." They walked a bit, and Tigress now saw the valley they had entered. It looked… abandoned. No leaves, dry grass, gray sky.

No houses, except one. It was on the top of the hill. But it sure looked like it would collapse soon. It was made of old wood, yet, it looked bigger than expected.

As they reached it, Tigress stopped, looking expectantly at her mother.

"Here we are," Fenghuang said, knocking down the door to her old home. It seemed abandoned, and the door fell to the ground the second her talon touched it. Fenghuang snorted. "Looks just like I remember it."

Tigress slowly entered, looking around to try and see her surroundings. "You grew up here?" she asked, obviously surprised.

Fenghuang nodded. "Long time ago. Before I became a student of the Jade Palace." The owl walked into the old little house. Everything seemed to be covered in a thick layer of dust. Fenghuang let a feather stroke the old chest. "And nobody has been taking care of things since mother left. Shame."

"But I thought… Your mother…" Tigress did not finish her sentences as she did not want to upset her mother.

"Yeah, I told you about her shortly, didn't I?" Fenghuang walked deeper into the room, dragging her injured wing across the floor. "I always wondered why you didn't ask further about it."

Tigress lowered her glance. "I just thought she was… bad."

"Oh, she is, don't get that wrong. She was never a good mother," Fenghuang replied flatly.

The tiger fell quiet, not knowing what to say.

"But I can tell you that story later," Fenghuang sighed. Looking for some candles to lit, she said, "I actually have a lot of stories to tell you."

"Mother…"

"I'll tell you them later, Tigress."

"No, I meant your wing…" Tigress said, looking at the owl.

"Oh." Fenghuang shortly looked at it too. "I'll try and find some bandages."

Tigress shook her head. "No offense, Mother, but this place looks older than Shifu."

The owl chuckled. "That's a good one."

"And I doubt you could find anything useful as a bandage," Tigress continued. "It's all too old. But here." In the next second, she had torn some fabric of her own pants.

"Tigress," Fenghuang sighed, but accepted it knowing that her daughter was right. "Alright; I'll take care of my wing, if you get started the fireplace."

The tiger nodded and did was she was told. While Fenghuang looked at her wing, the room soon became lit up. "Good," she praised. "It'll be nice to have some heat in my body again."

Tigress stood up again and noticed a door that led to another room. As Fenghuang was busy with her bandages, Tigress opened the door and walked inside. It looked like bedroom, though the room was small, but did still have four little beds. Everything here was covered in dust too.

As she looked around, she understood the beds were made for kids. She leaned down to look closer. At the end of each bed, something was carved into the wood. A name.

Brushing the dust away with her paw, Tigress read what it was saying.

"Kun," she read out loud. She walked over to the bed across the room and found her mother's name. "Fenghuang."

The two other beds said, "Lin-Lin" and "Shaoqiang". Understanding that this must be her mother's siblings, she became curious. Looking into the nearby dresser, she found a lot of useless things. Some coins, a brush and some dusty buttons.

But then, in another drawer, she found a painting. It was a portrait of four owls.

She recognized her mother immediately. Though, she was young; no more than eight or nine years old. She was scowling, as it looked like she was going to leap at another owl.

He was about her age, but his feathers were dark brown. By the look at his face, he was not too satisfied with his sister.

Behind them were two bigger owls. One was brown and was a male. Fenghuang's father, Tigress guessed. He was smiling gently as he looked at his children. Beside him was a female owl, her feather completely white. Though, she had some black patterns in her face. Her eyes were sharp and blue, almost like ice.

Pressing against her body was another small owl, a male. His father was light brown and his eyes golden.

And then, at last, there was a very small owl. She looked smaller than the other kids and her feathers were fluffy, white with brownish spots. She was smiling happily.

Tigress was too busy with looking at the picture to notice the fact that her mother now entered the room too. "Did you find any blankets?" she asked her calmly.

The tiger looked up, her paws firmly gripping the painting. "It's you," she muttered.

Fenghuang tilted her head. "Did I really look that scrawny?" she asked, looking at herself. "A lot truly happened since then."

Tigress handed her the painting. "Is that your family?" she asked her.

"No," Fenghuang said sternly.

The tiger looked up, her eyes revealing the fact that she is confused and shocked. "But I…"

"They _were_ my family," the owl explained. "Not anymore." She smiled gently to her daughter. "You are my family now, Tigress. What happened in the past doesn't matter."

Tigress was about to say something, but then regretted it. Finally, she muttered, "I thought you were going to tell me your story."

Fenghuang looked a bit ashamed. "I am," she huffed. She then continued, "And I am going to tell you yours too."

The tiger looked up in surprise, not knowing what to say. What did her mother mean by that?

"Come," Fenghuang said, laying the picture on the top of the dresser. "Let's find something to eat before we rest. We both need it."

* * *

Their dinner ended up with some tasteless apples that they found on a tree in the valley. While they were out, Fenghuang kept turning her head around to try and see if somebody had followed them from the prison. To their luck, it seemed like they were alone.

Almost as soon as they entered the house again, it started to rain heavily. Fenghuang snorted. "At least we are inside."

They sat down near the fireplace, Fenghuang standing on one leg to rest, Tigress as if she was meditating. The evening came quick, and soon Tigress could see the darkness through the cracks they were in the wooden wall.

"Do you think they are going to find us?" she asked her mother who had closed her eyes.

"Maybe," she answered. "But I doubt it. Though, we will have to be careful."

Knowing that Tigress was waiting for her to start her stories, Fenghuang sighed and opened her eyes. "I was born here," she said, not knowing where else to start. "My father was called Jinjing and my mother was named Shu. I had three siblings."

"Kun, Lin-Lin and Shaoqiang," Tigress sad, remembering the names.

Fenghuang nodded. "Try and find the picture again," she told the tiger.

Tigress quickly returned, bringing it along with her. She then handed it to Fenghuang who pointed at the persons with a feather. "Those are my parents," she said, pointing at the two big owls. "But I guess you already knew that. This is Shaoqiang," she said. "My big brother."

It was the brown owl, which Fenghuang was about the leap at.

Tigress tilted her head. "Were you going to attack him?" she asked her mother.

Fenghuang nodded. "Oh yes. We never really got along. We spent our most time fighting."

* * *

"_I win!" Fenghuang declared proudly, pushing her brother against the ground with her talon. "I win, Shaoqiang!" _

_The brown owl squirmed under her foot. "You did not! You cheated!" _

"_Of course I cheat!" she said sternly, sparks in her eyes. "It's the easiest way to win!" _

_Shaoqiang snorted. "So typical girls!" _

"_And yet I won! I… Oohmp!" She did not have the chance to finish her sentence as her brother suddenly got up, and tripped her by moving his wing under her feet. _

"_Who wins now?" he taunted her, his feathers messy after their fight. His golden eyes were hard, focused. Deciding that he was not done, he rushed forward. _

_Fenghuang tried and use her wing to block the attack, but instead he did something unexpected; he bit it with his little beak. The girl shrieked in surprise. "Shaoqiang!" _

_She then managed to push him away, and they both stood, panting. As they were the oldest, they always had constant battles about who should be the one to decide. _

"_It's not funny!" she exclaimed. _

"_It was you who asked me to fight you!" _

* * *

"Why did you do that?" Tigress asked her, a bit confused. "Were you training?"

"On a way…" Fenghuang sighed. "But Shaoqiang almost believed he was the best because he was the oldest. I just tried to prove him wrong."

Tigress nodded. "Oh…"

Fenghuang continued, "Then there was Kun. My younger brother." She pointed at the owl that was standing near Shu. "He never really spoke much. Always stayed by mother."

"Like me?" Tigress asked with a small smile.

"Nah; you weren't a coward. He couldn't do anything without help. And he always did what mother told him to do."

* * *

"_You really shouldn't do that," Kun warned his two older siblings that had started their fight again. "Momma is going to be angry." _

_Shaoqiang and Fenghuang stopped for a moment, standing in front of each other. Suddenly, they both spread out their wings to try and make themselves bigger. Circling around each other, they tried to scare the other one away. _

_Kun cringed, not knowing what to do. Should he try and stop them or get his parents? "It's so stupid!" _

"_You're stupid!" was the answer he received from Shaoqiang. _

_The younger brother puffed out his chest. "Yeah? But I am not the one mom's gonna scold!" _

_Shaoqiang rolled his eyes, but could not say anything as Fenghuang suddenly leapt at him again. _

_Kun nervously walked after them as they rolled around on the floor. "Shaoqiang, you are supposed to ignore her! You are the oldest! It's your responsibility!" _

"_If you like her so much, then you can have her!" the big brother exclaimed and pushed Fenghuang away with his talon. She landed in front of Kun. She glared angrily at him, but he just stuck his tongue out. _

_As revenge, she suddenly got into attacking position again, as if he was her new dummy. _

_Kun let out a shriek of surprise. "Mom!" _

* * *

"And of course he was Mother's favorite," Fenghuang sighed. "Not that I cared; Mother and I weren't good at getting along."

"Oh…" Tigress breathed out, feeling sorry for her mother.

"She was very stern. Though, she did only wish that we would turn out as great as our skills. I easily got tired of her, but then there was Father. He understood me better."

Tigress could hear the rain hitting the roof and briefly wondered if this could make it collapse. "Was he nice?"

"Very."

* * *

"_Fenghuang," Shu sighed as she entered the room. "What did I tell you?" Kun was already by his mother's side to try and gain some support. _

_Fenghuang widened her eyes. "It wasn't my fault!" she spat out. "Shaoqiang pushed me!" _

"_Did not!" the big brother yelled and he placed himself by her side. _

_She glared at him. "Just because you were too scared to fight me alone!" _

_Shaoqiang scowled. "I was not!" _

"_Both of you, stop it," Shu said sternly. "Enough fight for today." _

"_But-" _

"_Unless you learn how to behave." _

_Both Shaoqiang and Fenghuang sighed. "Yes, Mother." _

_Shu and Kun walked to the kitchen, while the two oldest siblings decided to go outside where their mother couldn't see them. When they could see the sun again, they made themselves ready once more. _

_But before they could do so, an owl landed in front of them. "Dad!" _

_He smiled. "Well, well, I thought you two were busy helping your mother." _

_Shaoqiang scratched the ground with his claws. "We were… But Kun did not want us to be near him." _

_Fenghuang nodded. "Yeah, he said we were too noisy! So we decided to fight instead." _

_Jinjing chuckled. "Then let me see what you have learned." _

* * *

Tigress looked at the one owl there was left to be told about. Fenghuang followed her glance. "That is Lin-Lin," she told her daughter. "My little sister."

The tiger squinted as she looked closer to the old panting. "She looks so… small."

Fenghuang nodded. "She was. Of course she was the last born, but she was very little compared to her age. Very… scrawny. Though, her feathers made her looks fluffy. Which she also was…"

"Was she sweet?"

"Very. I haven't met a soul as innocent as hers before I met you." Fenghuang chuckled. "I was her biggest idol. She made me feel very confident. I wished I could teach her how to fight, but she was too weak. Mother would not allow me."

* * *

"_Let me see! Let me see!" the little owl shrieked as her father blocked her sight. Chuckling, Jinjing stepped aside so her little eyes could watch. They were purple, exactly like Fenghuang's. _

_Fenghuang grinned as she heard her little sister enter the scene. Soon she could hear her cheering. "Fenghuang! Fenghuang!" _

_Shaoqiang scowled. "Wanna see how a real winner looks like, Lin-Lin? Watch this!" With two quick movements he managed to push Fenghuang to the ground. _

_When she got up again, she was scowling. "Lin-Lin?" The little bird immediately nodded when she heard her name. "Now you're gonna see how a real winner do." _

_Shaoqiang tried to block her attack, but as soon as he did, she came with another one. When he finally got her pushed away, he ran towards her to try and leap at her. As soon as he was close enough, Fenghuang jumped and spread out her wings, landing some meters away. _

_The big brother did not have to time to try and stop himself. He tripped and landed on the ground, face first. _

_Fenghuang chuckled, Lin-Ling laughing happily. _

"_Fenghuang," their father told her gently. "That was not a nice thing to do." _

"_But I won!" she exclaimed happily with Lin-Lin by her side. _

_Jinjing nodded. "Yes, but a true warrior doesn't cheat." _

"_But I didn't cheat! I was just being smart!" _

_Lin-Lin nodded happily, pressing her body against her big sister. "And she won!" _

* * *

Fenghuang sighed. "Thing's changed when I turned nine."

Tigress widened her eyes, excited to hear more. "What happened?" she asked her mother.

"That," Fenghuang said, turning to her daughter, "is another story which you will hear later."

Tigress looked at her. "Why not now?"

The owl sighed. "Because there is another story you need to hear first, Tigress." She took in a deep breath. "I probably should have told you the story a long time ago, along with everything else I hid from you. But now you are going to hear it."

Tigress could feel the hair on her neck rise. For some reason, she did not think the story was going to be happy. "What is it about?"

"It is about how you came to Bao Gu."

What none of them knew was that outside the little house, a white owl was sitting on a nearby tree. The light coming from the old home could easily be seen in the darkness. The owl watched it in some minutes; then it took off to disappear into the night.

* * *

A/N: First of all; thank you so much for the 400 reviews! It means so much! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Second; yes, you are going to hear more about Fenghuang's family. Why? Because I have focused so much on how Tigress turned into the person she is now; now it is Fenghy's turn. And yes, I will draw the picture of the owl family and put it on DA.

Again, thanks!


	33. Birds Of A Feather

A/N: Wow… I am sitting here on my chair, totally stunned. Now it is soon a year since I started this story, and when I did, I feared getting flamers because of my idea. Now this story has 60 favorites, 51 followers, 410 reviews and over 18,000 views! Thank you so much!

Sigh… It makes me so sad remembering that I actually have to end this story. Sad day for all of us when it happens… Which it will.

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Birds Of A Feather **

Tigress stared at her with widened eyes. "What?" she asked, stunned.

"It's… It's a story that I never really felt like telling," Fenghuang admitted, trying to keep her pride. Eventually she gave up and added, "I guess I was scared of you leaving because of the truth."

Tigress snorted. "You aren't scared of anything," she said softly.

The owl sent her a grateful glance. "I manipulated the caretaker… It was not that hard as they believed I was the only opportunity of getting you out of the orphanage. Your… parents were still alive when they left you there. Your mother told the caretakers that she simply had to give you up because she could not give you the life you deserved. They never saw your father, but she told them that he was still alive."

Tigress had become quiet, just staring at the owl.

"About a year after I took you home, I decided to try and find. It took some time, but there aren't exactly many tigers in China anymore." The owl stopped herself from saying more.

For a moment Tigress looked heart-aching desperate as she looked at her mother. "What happened? Did you find me?" No answer. "Please, mother," she pleaded.

She remembered the time where her mother had left almost a whole day; she had told her that she just had needed some air under her wings.

"I cannot be sure whether it's them, as I did not talk with them," Fenghuang said softly. "But I found two adult tigers… and a little one. A boy."

Tigress' eyes seemed to become even deeper. "They did not want me?"

Fenghuang stared at her, for some reason looking surprised. "As said; I do not know the whole story. But I…" Fenghuang looked puzzled as she looked at her daughter. "Tigress?"

"I guess I should have known it," the tiger said darkly, staring at the floor. "I already knew it. At least, I thought it was one of the reasons why… I ended up there…"

Fenghuang blinked, surprised over her behavior. "This definitely is not the reaction I expected," she said quietly.

Tigress looked up, becoming confused too. "What?" she asked.

"I thought," Fenghuang said quietly, "that if I told you, you would try and find them."

Tigress moved her head backwards, looking confused. "Why should I do that?" she asked her. "They did not want me."

"I just thought that when you real parents were alive, you would choose them."

"Over you?!" Tigress exclaimed, stunned.

"Yes," Fenghuang huffed. "And don't sound that surprised; it will make sense if you think about it."

Tigress shook her head. "No, it doesn't. We would I try and find them if I knew that had already given up on me?"

"You don't know that. Maybe life got easier after they left you and they then couldn't find you… I don't know, Tigress. I just knew that if I had been you, I would have tried and find them. I would have confronted them. And I feared that if you did that, you would not return."

The owl sighed and stroked her chin. "You are a lovely woman, Tigress. And as a child you were simply adorable. If they saw you, Tigress, I had no doubt in my mind that they would take you back."

But Tigress did not agree. "No. I will never see them again. And I won't leave." She then added, "But why telling me it now?"

"In Chorh-Gom I had a talk with Shifu," Fenghuang admitted. "And we… talked."

As she stopped telling about what had happened, Tigress said, "Yeah… I could figure that out."

Fenghuang raised an eyebrow. "He said that you deserved to know the truth."

"Mother, I won't leave," Tigress told her again. "And I am not mad for not telling it. I did not need to know where I came from."

"I know you have always been wondering about it."

"That doesn't mean I would leave."

Fenghuang gave her a small smile. "Let's move on to the next story."

"The one about your family?" Tigress asked, happy to change subject.

The owl nodded. "Yes. When I turned nine, I had been trained with Shaoqiang in such a long time, that I had learned some few fighting tactics. And one day, while visiting a nearby village, I ran into some thieves that were busy stealing from an old woman."

She took in a deep breath, before continuing, "I was so… mad. No one did anything, so I just attacked. Seconds after, they were defeated. My father thought I was amazing. He told me I was strong enough to be a warrior of the Jade Palace. I took that sentence very seriously. I told my parents I would go to the palace and show them what I could…" she trailed off.

"So? Did you do it?" Tigress asked her.

Fenghuang gave her a sad smile. "Not in the start. My mother forbade me. Two days later I became so furious that I told her if she wouldn't allow me to go, I would just leave by myself. To make a long story short; I ended the discussion by saying that I never wanted to see her again."

Tigress stared at her with widened eyes. "Really?"

She nodded. "Really."

"And then you came to the Jade Palace?"

She nodded again. "Yes. Shifu became my first comrade, as I impressed Oogway with my skills. My father came one day, but I told him I would not return." Fenghuang moved her feet, as if she was nervous. "I don't think they ever forgave me for giving up on the family. I broke Lin-Lin's heart. A year after I left, she went missing. I believe she got tired of mother too. It would not surprise me if that was the reason."

"Is she still alive?"

"I don't know," Fenghuang revealed. "She was always so little… When I left, she still had not learned how to fly. I guess the rest of my family saw her as dead. My father grieved himself to death the next month. Kun and Shaoqiang left the nest, and my mother was now alone. She sent me a letter about my father's death, but I did not have the guts to show up."

"Do you know what happened to Kun and Shaoqiang?" Tigress asked her mother.

The owl moved her wings slightly. "I think Shaoqiang went to Japan, but I am not sure. It surprised me that Kun actually left mother. I think he has gotten himself a family somewhere far away from here."

"And your mother?" Tigress asked her.

"I could not care less about her."

Tigress was sitting on the ground with the blanket around her shoulders. She somehow felt empty inside, thinking about her mother's tragic past. "I am sorry, Mother."

Fenghuang waved it off. "Don't be. What hurt me were Lin-Lin and my father; it took me some time to get over that. But my new home was in the Jade Palace, and I was doing what I loved." She took in a deep breath, looking around. "And I think that was what I could tell you about my family."

Tigress yawned and rested her head on her paws. "I knew you understood me from the start," Tigress told her. "About feeling alone."

"I did," Fenghuang said shortly. Looked at the ceiling, she cursed Shifu for making her to what she was about to do. "Tigress, there is more I did not tell you."

Tigress looked up in surprise as she had been about to go to sleep. "What?"

"When I adopted you…" Fenghuang closed her eyes. Stupid red panda! Stupid, stupid, stupid red panda! "I did not come to get you as my daughter." Idiotic red panda!

The tiger dropped her jaw, and whispered with the hurt visible in her eyes, "What?"

"I came to attack the Jade Palace, but saw Shifu enter the orphanage. I did some research and found out that he was teaching you. I… never forgave Shifu for betraying me. You know that. And the thought of him moving on, getting a student, becoming even greater… It made me mad. So I decided I could use you. I could turn you into the perfect warrior so you could fight him for me."

Tigress had gotten to her feet, staring at her with hurt eyes. "You did not want me?"

"I didn't think that you would become my daughter," Fenghuang tried to explain. But as she saw how Tigress started to back ways, just some few small steps, she quickly said, "But after only one day, you had softened up my heart. You were perfect, Tigress. And you became my daughter. How could I not love you?"

The tiger just glared at her, confused.

"You becoming my daughter were not the plan, but I never regretted it," the owl told her sternly.

"And you first tell me this now?"

"I did not want to hurt you."

Tigress looked desperate. "You never understood! You were just like somebody else; you saw me as just a weapon!"

"Only in the start," Fenghuang admitted shamefully. "And I am not proud of that."

Tigress looked away from her. "You are my mother."

"Yes."

Tigress rested her head on the floor, still not looking at her. "You are my mother," she said again. "And I love you." She paused before saying, "I just wished I hadn't grown up surrounded by lies."

"I apologize," Fenghuang said, but did not get an answer. "Goodnight, Tigress," she sighed as she understood the tiger needed some time alone.

Burying her head in her feathers, Fenghuang tried to fall asleep, but it was impossible. She had seen the little single tear that had fallen from Tigress' eyes and now she just could not forget that sight.

* * *

Tigress was surprised when she woke up. She had not believed she would be able to fall asleep. Smiling slightly, she remembered the times when it just was her, her mother and her uncle. But nearly everything had just been a lie.

And yet, she could not let go of her mother. Nor could she be angry at her.

Her mother was the only thing she had left now.

She wondered where Shifu and the others were. Were they trying to find them? Or maybe, they would let them be in peace now, though she doubted it.

The tiger got up, and the first thing she saw was the fact that her mother was already awake. "Good morning," the owl told her.

"Morning," she answered quietly.

"I have been thinking," Fenghuang told her daughter," and I realized I haven't asked you whether you have forgiven me." She was met with silence and so she had to ask, "Do you forgive me?"

There went some seconds, but then she answered, "Yes."

Fenghuang let out a deep breath. "Good. Thank you."

"No more lies?"

"No more lies," Fenghuang told her.

Tigress walked slowly closer. "How is your wing?"

The owl hated herself for saying it, but replied, "Better." So much for no more lies.

Tigress nodded, happy to hear that. "I'll go get the breakfast," she said while wrinkling her nose as she thought about the apples they ate yesterday.

"Don't go too far away," Fenghuang warned her.

"I…" As Tigress opened the door, she sprung backwards in surprise while hissing. In a second she had taken her fighting stance, and was now growling threatening at the white owl that was standing in the doorway.

Fenghuang widened her eyes as she recognized the owl. "Tigress!" she called out quickly and shoved the tiger away with her wing, so she was facing the owl by herself. Spreading out her wings, Fenghuang let out a threatening hiss towards the stranger.

The white owl just simply turned around and took off before they could stop her. Fenghuang scowled. "Stay here, Tigress."

"No." But the glance her mother gave her almost caused her to shrink. Fenghuang was clearly in a bad mood. Sighing, Tigress said, "Come back quickly."

Fenghuang gave her a small nod and left the house, all while making sure she closed the door behind her. If somebody was spying on them, especially some of the guards from Chorh-Gom, then they must not see Tigress.

As her wing could not lift her, Fenghuang had to walk. This was definitely not looking like it was going to be a good day.

Stupid wing. Stupid Longwei.

Fenghuang had to admit that Longwei's attack had surprised her. Actually, she had thought he would be harmless. He admired her too much to hurt her… At least she had thought that.

Looking at her wing, Fenghuang understood that she needed to do something soon. The poison was slow, but in the end, lethal. When he had been her comrade, he had told her how it would work in a battle; it would make the enemy's limb useless. It was not meant for killing, but unless you found the antidote, death would come.

Longwei had assured her that he caught all the bandits he used the poison on so none would be killed.

It was first now he tried to kill someone with it. Or did he? Now when she thought about it, it had been a very smart attack. She could no longer fly and by trying to find the antidote, she could accidently reveal herself.

As Fenghuang walked, it started to rain. Just perfect. As she thought about how to make a plan, she knew she first of all had to find a safe place to stay. Even though here seemed safe, they would find them in the end. The stranger had just proven that.

But she also had to try and find the antidote. As quick as possible, actually. But how could she avoid being seen by a villager while getting the antidote that probably were at the town's healer?

Fenghuang stopped wondering in the same moment as she realized what she was standing in front of.

A grave.

The next second she heard the sound of somebody landing behind her.

Fenghuang did not even turn her head around. "Hello, Mother."

* * *

A/N: Again! Thank you so much! And some information; I will post a new story soon, but first after I come home from a holiday with my boyfriend. That means there will go about a week from now. Sorry, but now you have gotten so quick updates the last days, so I think you'll be fine.


	34. Bring Us Honor

A/N: Sorry for the wait. But, as you can see, I published a new story and I kinda put my focus into that one. But now I am back, and I truly hope you missed me.

So… yeah… the owl wasn't Lin-Lin… But who knows who we will meet in this story?

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Bring Us Honor **

Shu folded her wings together as she calmly walked towards Fenghuang. "I don't remember giving you permission to use the house."

She raised an eyebrow, still looking at the grave. "You don't seem to be using it anyways," she answered, trying not to shutter as her mother stood beside her. It was a sad sight indeed; two owls, finally together, not even looking at each other, but at the silent grave while the rain slowly started to fall.

"I am."

"You haven't been in there in at least five years by the look at dust! It's almost like a danger zone in there," she snorted, remembering how she and Tigress had to clean everything before touching it. Fenghuang then made her tone colder, "You've got a new house."

"I have. Not far from here; I couldn't bear to leave the valley."

Fenghuang finally turned her head to look at her. "You did not seem to have troubles leaving everything else!"

The white owl looked offended. "Watch your words." She was old; so old that Fenghuang had actually hoped that she had died years ago. Once her face had been decorated with black marks, but now those spots had turned gray; almost white so they were impossible to see. Her eyes were sunken, but still sharp blue. Her feathers were a bit messy, but from what Fenghuang had seen before then Shu was still capable of flying gracefully.

"How long have you been watching us?" Fenghuang asked her, sounding bitter.

"Ever since I saw the light," Shu answered calmly. "I had to see who was there. In case…" She stopped herself; moving her head around rapidly.

"You though I was Lin-Lin," Fenghuang whispered, realizing it. "Well, it shouldn't surprise me. And no; I have not seen her. I have not seen any of them."

"_That_ should not be a surprise."

Fenghuang could not help but feel offended. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"You know what you did, Fenghuang."

Letting out a dark laughter, Fenghuang walked towards her mother. "And are we talking about how I tried to defeat you or how I turned against your orders?" She knew she was being rude, but seriously, why should she play nice? She was mad at her mother and there was no way to deny that fact.

Shu kept looking calm, her beak tightly closed while the wind made her feathers move slightly. "What you did was not my fault. It was your choices and you made the wrong ones."

"I am not here to talk with you," Fenghuang then said, looking away from her mother.

"You are here because of your wing," Shu answered, looking at the bandages. "Poorly made indeed."

"Better than nothing."

Shu sighed and took a step towards her. "I live further down the valley. I have some bandages."

Raising an eyebrow, Fenghuang said, "You're helping me?"

"No. I just simple said I had some."

"Okay… Great," Fenghuang muttered. She was confused as she had not expected that from her mother. And honestly she was not happy about the fact that she needed help from her.

Shu looked at her, her blue eyes distant. "I saw the tiger."

"Tigress," Fenghuang corrected, almost automatically.

The white owl snorted. "You could have found a better name for her."

"It's her name," Fenghuang answered. "No need to change it."

What surprised Fenghuang was the fact that she could see a little smile on her mother's face. "And I believe she did not come from an egg?" Shu said slyly.

"Of course not," Fenghuang answered calmly. "I adopted her."

"Why?"

"Needed company. A _new_ family," Fenghuang answered coldly. "And she is my daughter. And finally; you stay away from her."

Shu snorted. "Why should I go near her?"

"You are afraid of her…" Fenghuang said, smiling as she realized it. "And you are disappointed."

"Don't get me wrong, Fenghuang; none of you is a part of _my_ family," Shu hissed into her ear.

"Well, do you even have a family?" she asked, hitting a sore spot once again.

Shu took a step back, glaring at her. "They are still alive," she told Fenghuang. "All of them."

"Have you heard from Lin-Lin?" she asked, surprised. As she received no answer, she widened her eyes. "You have?"

"She's alive," Shu said. "And so are you."

"So are you," Fenghuang hissed back. True enough; her mother's age reminded her almost of Oogway's, though it was some of an exaggeration. She then turned around to look at the grave. Her father's name was written on the otherwise blank stone.

"He would have been disappointed."

Fenghuang was pulled out of her memories about her father, when she heard her mother's voice. "What?"

"He would have been disappointed if he could see you," Shu explained. "You, his pride… Reduced to a banished fool who can do nothing but destroy lives!"

"That's not true!" Fenghuang shrieked back, almost taking her battle stance. The comment had made her furious, and right now she just wanted to fight her mother. Though, Shu remained as still as a statue, but continued speaking to Fenghuang's fear.

"It's just a matter of time before you will get caught. It cannot be avoided and you know that. You have already seen the tiger's destiny; in Chorh-Gom."

"Then what exactly are you suggesting me to do?" Fenghuang hissed, looking like she was in pain as she knew her mother's words were true. It was her fault that Tigress could not near any village anymore; if she did, people would attack her. And maybe, if the worse would happen, it would end up getting the tiger killed.

Shu squinted. "Stop trying being something you are not." She then turned around to walk away, tired of the conversation.

"At least I am not a coward."

Shu stopped walking, just before she was ready to take off. She turned her head around to glare at Fenghuang.

Fenghuang continued, "I know what I have been doing. And maybe I have failed at some tries, but at least I am not hiding while waiting for someone who will never come. Because I know what I have lost."

"I am telling them where you are," Shu hissed, threatening Fenghuang. "The guards are already searching for you."

Fenghuang glared back. "You wouldn't," she hissed slowly, but as she saw her mother's stern face, she realized she was wrong. "You would," she said, almost chuckling. "Because you are still angry."

"I am just following the law."

Fenghuang snorted. "The law is wrong on many ways."

"Killing needs to be punished."

"Then punish me!" Fenghuang said mocking, spreading out her wings. She let out a mocking laughter. "I am not scared of any of you!"

Shu straightened out her back. "But from what I have heard, then it wasn't you that killed Master Tiger."

"It was not Tigress' fault," Fenghuang answered coldly. "Shifu agreed with me on that."

"I don't really care about the tiger," Shu told Fenghuang. "But I can see that for some reason you do. You may not think I am the best parent, Fenghuang, but I know if you want the girl to have a good life, then you have to stay away. You are poison, and the longer time you spend with her, the more she will get affected by you."

Fenghuang rolled her eyes. "I am not going to drop her off somewhere." Seeing how her mother was ready to start flying again, she leapt forward grabbing her wing. "You won't tell them," she hissed, eyes flacking around as she was unsure about what she was saying.

"I cannot hide the truth."

"You wouldn't!" Fenghuang hissed.

Shu looked down at her. "And how will you stop me?"

Fenghuang scowled, looking at her own broken wing. She could not fly after her mother but… Fenghuang took her fighting stance.

Shu let out a mocking laughter with her hoarse voice. "You're really going to fight me?"

"I protect my family."

"So did I!" Shu hissed. "Until you ruined all of it."

And Fenghuang knew she was right. Lin-Lin had left after she did. When Lin-Lin had left, their father had died. When their father had died, her brothers had left. When her brothers had left, Shu had become alone.

But Fenghuang did not lower her glance. "Father was proud of me. I became the most greatest of the Furious Five. He never saw me made my mistake. And I am sure he was glad to see me follow my dream. It was not me who killed him."

"If he saw you now…"

"You might have hated my dream, but he didn't. And I am sure that if he knew Tigress, he would have welcomed her." Fenghuang's words were stern; she was sure about what she saying.

Shu looked at her husband's grave; sorrow in her eyes. "You should have seen him, Fenghuang," she whispered coldly. "Losing both of his daughters killed him. And you were never there."

"And whose fault was that?" Fenghuang asked. "If I knew he was dying, I would have come."

Shu looked away, looking tired.

And Fenghuang remembered the day she lost her father.

* * *

_She did not turn around as she heard him come. "Feng," he called, stopping to stand beside her. "I just heard it; are you alright?" _

"_I am fine, Longwei," she answered coldly, not even looking at the leopard. Instead she watched the valley below her; the valley she was protecting. Earlier that day she had gotten a letter from her family. _

_At first she and been surprised; maybe they had finally forgiven her and was inviting her back home to visit them? _

_But no; the letter had been completely different. _

_It had told her that Lin-Lin was gone, missing, after running away from home. Little Lin-Lin that had always needed her protection. _

_Her father was gone too. Dead. Grieving himself to death. _

_And no one had told her about before it was too late. _

_She was furious. _

"_You know, we others are still here," Longwei reminded her. "And Oogway has already said you are free to leave if you wish to see them…" _

"_I don't wish to see them!" she hissed. "Not again." _

_The leopard looked at her in surprise. "But…" _

"_I will go to the funeral," she announced. "But it still depends whether my mother will allow me to enter the valley." _

_He looked at her with sorrow filled eyes. It was clear he felt bad for her. "Fenghuang, it was not your fault…" _

"_Tell my mother that," she snorted mockingly. The owl was still not looking at him, but now she closed her purple eyes to block away all her sight. _

_Longwei could see that she was hurt; her whole form somehow looked vulnerable, even though she was very good at hiding it. "Don't you want to…?" _

"_No!" she hissed so loudly that he flinched and took a step backwards. _

_The leopard sighed, understanding that she did not want to talk. As he returned to the Jade Palace, Fenghuang could still hear him start a conversation with Shifu who had been watching silently. _

"_It didn't work." _

"_I can see that," Shifu said in agreement. "Give her time." _

"_She's hurting." _

"_Will she go back to them?" _

"_I don't know." _

_Fenghuang sighed before letting herself fall forward. Then she spread out her wings and started flying; heading towards her former home. _

* * *

"There are bandages in my house. Go west, then you'll find it."

Fenghuang pulled herself out of her thoughts. When she looked up, her mother had already taken off. "No!" Fenghuang desperately tried to follow her mother, but ended up falling down as her wing did not listen her mind. She landed with a grunt, a wave of pain running through her body.

Finally getting up, Fenghuang could only see Shu as a small dot on the gray sky. Cursing, Fenghuang started climbing down the hill, getting faster and faster by each second. She had to be quick; what mattered now was to get away from here as quick as possible.

When she found the new house, she was soaking wet. Kicking down the door, she saw that the room almost was empty. There was only what needed to be; stove, bed, a dresser and so on. But everything that could decorate the room was gone.

Fenghuang found that weird, as her mother always had loved buying expensive things to show guests that they did have the money.

The only thing she found was four paintings on the wall. Shaoqiang, Lin-Lin, Kun and Jinjing; those were the portraits that were on the wall. With a shriek of anger, Fenghuang pulled a dresser open and found the bandages.

She left the house as quick as possible, but not before destroying all the furniture she could find.

* * *

Tigress disobeyed her mother. She left the house and waited outside; ignoring the rain that made her fur lie flat against her fur.

Her eyes were hurting, and Tigress was unsure why. But one thing was sure; she did not feel good. Her stomach felt empty and it was almost like it was twisted. But she kept waiting unsure of what to do.

What could she do?

She could not just leave. Where could she go? People hated her; she was a criminal. And even though she was skilled at fighting, she could not fight against the whole world. Eventually she would get caught; she had already tried that once before.

And she just could not leave her mother. She knew she just couldn't. She belonged with her, but yet she had to face that she just did not trust her on the same way. Though, she kept fighting for that trust.

Was that wrong?

Should she just let go and try and handle herself?

It would hurt but her and her mother. But maybe, as the other had said, her mother was not a good thing. She was evil… And Tigress did not want to be evil. She did not want to keep making mistakes.

But could she really do that? Had she not already forgiven her mother?

But forgiving was not the same as forgetting. And she was just so tired of lies…

A lightning tore the sky and Tigress looked up in surprise. What surprised her was not the thunder, but the fact that she just had seen an owl flying across the sky.

And she was sure it had not been her mother.

* * *

"Tigress?" Fenghuang called, her wing limp but helped up by the bandages. "Tigress?" She was now tired, and Fenghuang blamed the poison for taking away her strength. But now she was on her way back to the old house, but as she called, the tiger did not come outside.

And that scared her.

Though, she knew her mother could not be that fast. She first had to find a village to give the guards the message about where they were. That would take some time, but she and her daughter still needed to leave now.

Opening the door, Fenghuang widened her eyes. Tigress was not there. "Tigress?!"

Fenghuang searched outside, but there was still no sign of her.

With her heart pounding against her chest, Fenghuang made a horrible realization;

Tigress had left.

* * *

"Master Shifu," his students greeted him.

"Hey, guys!" Po exclaimed, hugging them. They all looked better than when he saw them the last time; weeks out from the cell had surely helped them. He too could feel how lovely it was to be free and he felt stronger every day.

Viper slithered forwards. "We heard the news; is it really true?"

"The only person who has ever escaped Chorh-Gom before is Tai Lung…" Mantis started, explaining why it was hard for them to believe that Fenghuang and Tigress truly was missing.

But Shifu held up a hand. "Master Longwei had already created a searching team. It's just a matter of time before we find them."

"But… How did they escape? I thought it was almost impossible," Monkey said, scratching his head.

Shifu said with a stern voice, "Fenghuang somehow escaped her cage, and she afterwards helped Tigress get out." His secret was still a secret, and he had no intentions of revealing the truth.

"Uhm, Master?" Crane asked, moving his feathers as if he was uncomfortable. "There is someone we found while searching for Tigress…"

Viper nodded. "He says he knew Tiger."

Shifu widened his eyes as he did not expect to hear such news. "Where is he then? Who is he?"

"His name is Ju-long, and he says Fenghuang attacked him and his home. We found him in the Northern Mountains; badly injured."

Shifu now entered the kitchen and sure enough; a wolverine was sitting in one of the chairs, his arm in a cast and his leg covered in bandages.

Ju-long smiled when he saw the Grandmaster.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the wait, but I was on vacation and when I came home, I just uploaded a new story. Please, please, please check it out; it's called "Truth of Tall Tales" and is about Tigress' life before she entered the orphanage.


	35. Brilliant Mind

A/N: I hate writer's block… And it doesn't help that I have gotten a new game to my computer… I am just so distracted.

And just to make it clear; Fenghuang is poisoned and as the poison made her wing numb, she crashed when she tried to land and broke it.

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Brilliant Mind **

"Tigress!" Fenghuang called again, but received no answer. But she knew the tiger could not just disappear; where should she go? It was not like they had a home to return to.

Or had Tigress been so foolish to think that she could go back to their mountain? If that was what had happened, then she had to find the tiger before something awful would happen. Did the girl not realize that their former home was the first place where the guards would search for them?

And that was why you should never leave the tiger alone.

"Tigress!" A horrible mother she was. But still, Tigress was old enough to handle or herself. It was not Fenghuang's fault that the tiger suddenly started acting like a six year old.

The owl was now soaking wet and she wished that she could just be in her former house with the warm fireplace… But of course she had to find Tigress first. It would be so much easier if she just could fly.

She hate d being stuck on the ground. It made her feel so… normal. Like she had lost her special powers. Flying was a part of who she was, and without it she just felt a bit helpless.

Realizing that she was not sure of where she was in the valley, Fenghuang looked around. But the rain made it hard to see and it been so long time since the last time she had been here. And to be honest she was not glad about being back.

Tigress was fast… She had four legs to run on while Fenghuang was now crippled. This race was not fair.

Climbing a hill, Fenghuang got to higher grounds as she tried and spot her daughter. "Tigress!" Shu could not be a part of this, could she? Fenghuang knew that her mother could be a mean person, and she had proven that by leaving to reveal their hiding place to the guards, but it was not like the old owl would harm them.

No, Tigress must have left by herself. And the reason why she had done that must be because she was mad at her. But would her daughter really do that?

Would Tigress really just leave?

Then maybe it was the time to let go. Tigress could be lucky enough to find a place to stay while being hidden and Fenghuang had taught her which plants that could be eaten and so on. She could survive on her own.

But could Fenghuang do that? Ever since she had been turned into an outcast, there had always been at least one she could rely on. Yun-qi had been there, and even when he was out travelling, Fenghuang knew he would return one day where he would spend time with her, telling her about his adventures.

And then Tigress had come. Little Tigress that had trusted her so much. And it had been the trust that had made Fenghuang grow. Change.

But now her daughter had left her. Funny; it had been her mother that had turned her back to her and now her daughter did the same.

Yun-qi was gone too and now Fenghuang was alone. Could she really handle that?

But maybe it was the best. Everybody had told her she was a bad mother. An evil, selfish, stupid, no-good owl that only thought about power and how she could get it.

Sighing, Fenghuang turned around. Maybe she should just stay here. The poison would finish its job eventually.

Snorting, the owl became disgusted by herself. She did not just give up like that! She was Fenghuang! The owl no one could defeat. Not even Chorh-Gom had been strong enough for her!

As she turned around she suddenly realized she was not alone. There, down the hill, a lone tiger was walking.

"Tigress!"

The tiger grunted as her mother threw her wings around her, squeezing her. Tigress' face her pressed against her feathery throat, and the tiger had her eyes wide open in surprise.

"Mother?"

"Don't you ever do that again!" Fenghuang scolded gently, eyes closed in peace as she realized her daughter had not left her.

Wait… Was she really that scared of being alone?

"You can let go now," Tigress said calmly, though there went some seconds before Fenghuang pulled away.

The owl first made sure that her injured wing was alright, then she turned to her daughter. "What were you doing?"

Tigress remained calm as she answered, "I just need to walk."

"And why did you disobey me? I thought I told you to stay in the house," Fenghuang reminded her sharply.

The tiger saw the tone of a challenge and crossed her arms. "So? It was not like I was in danger."

"Where were you going?" The questions just never stopped.

"I don't know!" Tigress replied. "I just needed to get out of there. The place gives me creep."

"I feel that too, but I don't just go walking around without even knowing where I was heading! You know I can't fly for the moment, Tigress. If you got lost-"

"I would not get lost."

"Then where were you going?"

"Home!" the tiger hissed, her eyes glowing.

Fenghuang straightened out her back, looking down at her. "And where is that?"

"I don't know!" Tigress shouted back. They then both fell quiet as they stood there in the rain, watching each other. "I don't know and that is your fault."

"My fault?" Fenghuang stepped back. "It was not me that ran back to the mountains even though I told you not to do. Because of that the prisoners escaped, and that is why we are in this situation now!"

Tigress' expression was shocked. With widened eyes, she snarled, "Don't blame this on me! It was not me who wanted to conquer China!"

"Well, neither did I!"

"Then you must have done it for revenge! Like that is better than doing it because of greed!" Tigress snorted loudly. "And greed was also the reason why you found me, wasn't it?"

The hurt was visible in the tiger's eyes as Tigress continued staring at her. Fenghuang found herself unable to look away and was suddenly filled with the bitterness she could sense coming from the tiger. "Don't you fool yourself. I was the only one who would take out from Bao Gu and you know it."

Tigress backed away, mouth falling open as if she had trouble believing that she just had heard those words coming from her mother's mouth. Fenghuang regretted her outburst the moment she saw Tigress' eyes.

Finally, Tigress looked up. "You are right. No one wanted me. But I can't really change that now, can I?"

Shaking off some of the water on her body, Fenghuang said calmly, "Bringing up the past is stupid. We need to look forward now."

They both walked together until they found a big tree which they placed themselves under so they used it as shelter.

"I thought you forgave me," Fenghuang muttered quietly.

"I did," Tigress said quickly but then the owl sent her a questioning glance. "I am just still… angry."

"That's not exactly fair," Fenghuang huffed. "Trust is-"

"Trust?!" Tigress exclaimed. "You really think it's a good idea that you are giving me a lecture about trust?"

Remembering all the times she had lied for her daughter, Fenghuang lowered her head. "No, it probably isn't," she sighed. "I was really worried…"

"Yeah, I know," Tigress answered, raising an eyebrow. "I felt the hug."

"So? I have the right to hug my daughter, haven't I?" Fenghuang's mind mentally screamed for the tiger to answer yes.

Tigress gave her a small smile and Fenghuang took it as an answer. Much better than a no. She then softly asked, "What were you really doing out here?"

The tiger hesitated before saying, "As I said; I just needed to walk."

"And the thing about forgiving me?"

Tigress sighed. "It's not really like a have a choice… I can't bear to lose you too…"

"I love you. You know that?"

"I know."

Fenghuang allowed herself to smile. "Good." The smile then disappeared as she said, "Then I guess it's time for me to be honest."

Tigress looked up in surprise. "What?"

Taking in a deep breath, Fenghuang said, "Longwei's blade was poisoned."

The tiger dropped her jaw a bit, eyes growing big in horror. "What?" she whispered.

"Don't worry," the owl calmed her. "I am not dying." But then she thought about it and added, "Yet. I need the antidote but I am not sure of where I can find it. Longwei was the only person I knew that used such poison."

"Then what…?" First now Tigress looked at her mother's wing. "Where did you get the bandages?"

"I… had a little talk with my mother," Fenghuang said as if it as a big secret. "And that is also the reason why we have to leave. Now."

Fenghuang grabbed her arm with her good wing and started dragging her on the way she guessed leaded out of the valley.

"What happened?" the tiger asked her.

Fenghuang sighed loudly. "She has left to tell the guards where we are."

Tigress felt the hurt coming from her mother. How could you just give up on people like that? Maybe Shu was still angry, but the white owl did also know what would happen if the guards found them. Would she really just hand over her daughter like that?

"Then where are we going?"

"Let's say that I am open for ideas."

Tigress thought about it, clearing up the facts. "We need a place where they won't find us, but we also need that antidote. Where would you think we could find it and how long time do we have?"

Fenghuang was not in pain, no, the poison only brought numbness. Though, she answered, "The only place where I have seen it is the Jade Palace. So far, I only feel tired and I am unable to fly. I guess I will slow us down."

Tigress was now unsure of what to do. They could not enter the Jade Palace again; it would be way too dangerous. And even though staying in the mountains seemed like a good plan, it would not bring them the antidote.

But then, suddenly, Fenghuang turned her head upwards and started to laugh.

Tigress could not see the funny in the situation. "What?"

"Oh, I just realized where we should go," Fenghuang explained as she started walking. Tigress followed, even though she was tired of the rain. The owl continued talking, "You see, when they are so busy trying to find us, I don't think they would give themselves the time to look around and see who is standing behind their backs."

* * *

"I made some… deals with Master Tiger," Ju-long said slowly. "My business was doing great before Fenghuang refused to accept my offer."

"And which kind of offer was that?" Shifu asked him, calmly watching him. Though, the wolverine could not run away as his leg was broken.

Ju-long shrugged. "It was pretty simple until she made it complicated. But you see, I have always wanted the Jade Palace; it's such a marvelous treasure. And as she was the owner of at that time, I needed to give her something back. So, I made Tigress come to me, and I, without harming her, made her stay. Fenghuang would get her daughter back the same moment she handed over the Jade Palace to me."

"I believe she did not take it very well," Shifu huffed.

The wolverine laughed, finding it funny. "She destroyed my fortress, killed my soldiers and used the Thundering Wind hammer on me! Not exactly a kind thing to do. Though, I survived, which means I must be lucky."

"So when they were gone, they were visiting you," Shifu muttered, figuring it out.

Ju-long nodded. "Exactly! But we are supposed to talk about Master Tiger."

"You had deals?" Shifu quoted him, interesting to hear how his former student had come to know this wolverine.

"Yeah, he wanted to 'borrow' my army. He sure knew what he wanted."

"And what was that?"

Ju-long grinned. "The Jade Palace, of course! I am not the only one who thinks of it as a treasure." His smile grew even bigger when he saw Shifu's confused face. "Master Tiger wanted to rule the Jade Palace. I guess he found you too… old. That it was time for some changes. But he did not believe that you would agree with him on that, so I let him borrow some of my guards, just in case. But the whole plan was dismissed as Master Tiger lost to Fenghuang's daughter. I must admit that I would love to have seen that battle. Two tigers, both full of rage… Must have been some of a sight."

Shifu just stared at him, his expression blank. Had his former student really wanted him gone? He had always known that the tiger loved the power he got as being a warrior.

But he had been able to control it.

Even though Tiger had never let go of his mask, he had been a great warrior. He had saved the valley many times and Shifu had been proud to be his master. Though, sometimes he would see Tiger sneaking around while keeping distance to his friends, and Shifu would wonder why he wanted to be alone.

Now he knew; because the tiger had been hiding a secret.

But Shifu could not be angry at him. Even though the tiger had wanted to take over the palace by force, it made no different now whether they blamed him or not.

He was dead, and they could only honor him b remembering all the great things he had also done.

"So," Ju-long leaned over the table to get closer at the Grandmaster, "any news about where Fenghuang and her daughter are hiding?"

* * *

A/N: And finally done! Thank you so much for all the reviews and favorites! It's amazing! And the story isn't over yet; remember that.

I smirk when I think of the next chapters… I simply love Fenghuang's plan (and it was me who came up with it! :P ) and hopefully there will be some humor! So look forward to that!


	36. Hidden

A/N: Yeah… I hate writer's block. "Long Lost, Long Hidden" is kinda on hold until I have gotten my inspiration back. Sorry, but I am just stuck. So… Let's wait and see. Don't worry, I will not abandon it, I just need some time.

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Hidden **

"You ready?"

"Of course I am," Tigress answered, while sticking her head out of the bush they were hiding in. Her senses were sharp as she knew being here was dangerous. But her mother had insisted and now they were here.

But they still had to go inside.

"You sure this is a good idea?" Tigress then asked her. As soon as they stepped inside it would be too late to change their decision.

"Of course I am!" Fenghuang huffed. "The Jade Palace has way too many rooms, and no one uses them. I remember once, when I was exploring our new home with Shifu, we found a dead body in one of the rooms deepest into the palace. Seems like he was some unlucky servant that just got lost… After telling Longwei he said that if we had found the body in a closet he knew who it was."

Tigress raised an eyebrow, not really understanding.

And Fenghuang then revealed it, "If that was the case then the person must have been last year's winner of hide and seek."

The tiger looked stunned while grimacing. "That's disgusting."

Fenghuang let out a warm laughter. "Come on, follow me. We need to be quick."

But before they could go, Tigress stopped her. "Maybe I should go first," she said softly. The poison has gotten stronger and to her fear Fenghuang could feel how she had lost her strength. It was like she was normal again… Without Kung Fu… Just a regular person…

But it would not last for long. After drinking the antidote she would get well again. Though, Tigress was right. If they needed to be quick then Fenghuang was not the perfect person for the task.

Tigress had been worried sick in the start. She had spent her nights awake, thinking of what to do if she lost her mother. Finally, she had come to the conclusion that if they did not get the antidote and her mother… passed away, then she would follow her into death.

Jumping off a cliff could not be so hard.

After all, she had already lost her uncle. Fenghuang was the only one left who cared about her.

But now they were so close, and so Tigress had pushed her worry away. They could do this! They had avoided the stairs but using a pathway through the mountains, but now they could see the palace that was so close.

"A distraction…" Tigress muttered, but the owl heard it.

"No, you are not going to lead them away," Fenghuang said sternly, glaring at her. Though, she could not hide her tired expression as the poison still was there.

Tigress was too busy coming up with a plan to glance at her. "That was not what I was going to do," she said sternly. "Honestly."

"Then what are you thinking?"

"Just stay here," Tigress said, already walking away.

Shaking her head, Fenghuang quickly followed her. "No."

"I am not going near them. Just trust me."

* * *

"Fenghuang has been spotted in the village!"

"What?!" his students exclaimed as Shifu stepped into the kitchen.

The red panda was still shocked, but he also knew that they had to react quickly. This was the chance to capture the evil owl. Just the fact that she was coming back to the Jade Palace was not a good sign.

Seriously; he had given her a chance to fix the mistakes, and now she was stupid enough to return to the Valley of Peace?

"It's was your dad who sent the messenger. Apparently, she is in the Noodle Shop."

The expression on Po's face froze while he muttered the words, "Oh no; dad!" He then ran out of the door, quickly followed by his friends.

"Wait, Po; we have to think this through!" Viper exclaimed while they all rushed down the stairs.

"Fenghuang is weakened," Shifu then told them, causing them to look up in surprise. "Now is the time to strike."

Po was busy hoping that his father was not hurt. Fenghuang was evil, he knew that. It was only Tigress' personality he doubted. And if the owl suddenly decided to attack his father…

Weakened or not, Mister Ping had no chance against the former ruler of the Valley of Peace.

"Dad!" Po exclaimed, seeing the goose running towards him.

"Po!" the goose yelled back, grabbing him by the hand and turning him around so he was facing the shop. "She's in the cellar."

Shifu was standing right next to them and nodded as he heard it. Silently entering the shop, he decided he would be the one to face Fenghuang. He could not talk to her as his students would hear it, but he had already given the owl enough chances.

Taking the first step down the stairs, he lifted his arms into a fighting position.

* * *

"This went well," Fenghuang huffed. "Maybe I should trust you some more."

"Thanks," Tigress answered sarcastically, a bit offended by her mother's sentence. Though, she knew she was only joking.

They had now entered the palace, and Fenghuang was leading them through hallways. They just needed to find one of the rooms that were only used when special guest arrived. And if that did not work out, they could always try and hide in the dungeon.

But as they passed another doorway, Fenghuang suddenly pushed Tigress away so she was leaning closely against the wall. "Wha-?"

But the owl held a feather in front of her beak, signaling her to be quiet. Fenghuang then leaned closer to the open door, turning her head so she could look inside. What she saw surprised her.

"That little devil!" she hissed, but quickly felt quiet as she realized that she might wake him up. There, inside the room, Ju-long was sitting in a chair, asleep.

Tigress got to curious and followed her mother's glance. "What is he doing here?" she asked, stunning.

Fenghuang did not answer, but simply gently pushed Tigress' back so she started walking again. They were not here because of the wolverine. She had to remember that.

Finally they found a room which Fenghuang said was good enough. After entering, she made sure there was a key in the lock. "Perfect," she said, turning it. "Now no servants will look in here."

She then opened the door again and looked outside. Tigress had sat down on the bed, as the room was supposed to house visitors. "What is it?" the tiger asked.

"I'll go get the antidote, you'll stay here," she said and stepped out of the room. "Lock the door."

"Can't I-?"

"No."

Tigress' face darkened as she hated being spoken to as if she was a little girl. She kept in a growl as she asked, "What if they come back? My distraction won't last forever. I would say we are lucky if we get five more minutes."

"Then I'll use those five minutes. I know the palace better than you therefore you stay here. I'll be back soon." With that, she closed the door.

Sighing, Tigress locked it, not knowing what else to do. So… this was her new room. A room in the palace that no one found the need to use.

How long were they going to stay here?

The room was small, too small for Tigress to like. After growing up on a mountain, she needed space. Here was only a dresser, a bed and an end table.

Knowing that her mother slept while standing on one leg, Tigress lay down on the bed. Staring at the ceiling she tried cheering herself up.

It could not be that bad. She just needed to get used to this new house. And if they just were careful and only sneaked out at night the masters would not notice them.

This could work, right?

The whole thing just felt strange… Their enemies where in the same house as them, and yet, they did not see them.

Suddenly a weak knock could be heard, but Tigress became so surprised that she jumped up from her bed. Knowing it was her mother, she quickly opened the door and let her inside.

"They are coming back," Fenghuang told her daughter while locking the door. "I heard them enter."

Tigress lowered her voice into a whisper. "Did you find it?"

"Yes." The owl smiled, remembering how she had found the bowl of bitter herbs. Though, after quickly reading the note that was hanging on the bowl, she understood it was the right one. Good thing nothing really had changed since she had left the palace. "Just give me some days and I'll be fresh again. Though, I think we'll have to wait further more for my wing to work."

"That's okay," Tigress said, happy to hear that her mother now was not dying. Longwei's plan had failed. Yes; he had slowed them down, but he had not found them and they had not gotten caught in the try to get the antidote.

"Good. Now here's the thing. We have to turn to day upside down. Now it is night, and we will sleep," Fenghuang declared.

"You could just have said that we need to be quiet," Tigress muttered, going to her bed again.

"Yes, but we have more freedom when they are sleeping. I'll take care of the food, so you'll just stay here."

When she ended her sentence, Tigress squinted while looking at her. "I am not allowed to leave the room?" she asked, sensing the order in her mother's voice.

"That is not what I said, but yes; that is the rule."

"And why-?"

"Because if they see you, then it's over. This was my last idea and we cannot afford messing this up."

"I am not going to mess it up," Tigress gave back.

Fenghuang met her eyes. "Lower your voice," she instructed. "I will not see you in prison again, Tigress. I simply cannot bear it. So would please try and let me fix my mistakes? Yes? Thank you."

Tigress had fallen quiet, just staring at her. She then turned around to stare at the wall, while trying to fall asleep. Fenghuang sighed, but then closed her eyes too; standing on one leg as usual.

* * *

Ju-long woke up when he heard the masters come back. Slowly making his way towards them, he tried taking care of his injured leg. "What happened?"

Master Shifu walked away, leaving his students to explain. Po scratched his neck. "Well, my father thought Fenghuang was hiding in his cellar…"

The wolverine widened his eyes. "Did you get her?"

Monkey held in a snort of laughter, before leaving the room with his comrades. Only Po was left, knowing he was the one to tell the truth. "Turns out he accidently placed some sacks and vegetables so they looked like an owl… In the dark it's really hard to tell, you know."

Ju-long glared at him. "You attacked a bunch of vegetables."

"Uhm… Yeah, we did," Po revealed a bit ashamed.

The wolverine snorted. "And you call yourselves masters!"

"Hey, we saved your life, you know!"

"So? Fenghuang is still out there! I thought it was your job to stop criminals!"

"You're a criminal too, and we-" Po stopped himself from saying more, understanding he had already revealed too much.

Ju-long stared at him, figuring it out. So they were discussing whether they should send him to prison or not. Truth to be told, his actions were not exactly… legal.

"Don't you have some fruit to arrest, Dragon Warrior?" he then snarled, before turning around to walk away. Though, as he used crutches, he could only do it slowly, and Po just stared at him in the awkward silence.

"No… But I have some soup to make and if you don't get nice, you might not get some!"

Ju-long ignored his yell. If they truly were about to send him to prison, then he needed to get out of here as quick as possible.

* * *

_He struck her down before she could attack again. "Tigress!" he yelled. "Stop!" But the tiger kept fighting him, growling furiously. _

_As Shifu walked backwards to avoid her attacks, he suddenly heard some noises coming from behind him. Turning his head around, he saw two of the rhino guards form Chorh-Gom, staring at them with blank eyes. _

_Did she not see them? Did she not know that if she continued they would come and take her to prison? _

_Tigress snarled again. "It's your fault!" She leapt at him, but as she jumped through the air, she suddenly seemed to shrink. _

_When she landed in front of him, she was nothing more than the cub he had found in the orphanage. "Tigress?" _

"_Why did you not come back?" she asked him, her big eyes looking at him. "I waited for you." _

"_I…" _

"_You were the only one who understood. The others were still afraid. They will always be… I waited, but you did not come." _

_As Shifu looked at the cub, he felt his stomach twist. "I… tried." _

"_You did not want me." _

"_That's not…" _

"_You were afraid of me, weren't you?" _

"_No," he said, more sternly. _

"_You thought I was a monster too." _

"_NO!" he exclaimed, trying to make her understand. _

_But the cub only tilted her head, looking at him. "You abandoned me… Left me to rot… You did not care…" _

_He moved forward, but as he did, the tiger disappeared. It happened so quickly, and he turned his head around, confused, while trying to understand what was going on. _

_Around him where nothing, just the color white. But then he heard it. The laughter. _

_It was a soft one, coming from a child. _

_Tigress. _

_It echoed through this empty dream world, while surroundings slowly started to appear. Shifu found himself on a mountain, with a cold wind blowing snow onto his clothes. _

_And there, in front of him, was little Tigress. _

_She was grinning happily, but she was no looking at him. No, her eyes were focused on the sky, where Shifu faintly could see Fenghuang's form that was getting smaller and smaller as she flew away. _

_Then Tigress dropped down on all fours, letting her front paw touch the edge of the cliff. _

"_Tigress," Shifu warned her, taking a step towards her. Below them was nothing, only the mist that hid the bottom that was there… somewhere…. Far far below… _

_She would not survive such a fall. _

_Tigress turned her head to look at him. "Mother has wings," she said, then looking into the abyss again. _

"_You don't!" Shifu yelled, understanding what she was going to do. _

_She would follow her mother. _

_He wanted to move forward, to pull her away from there, but his feet would not move. _

"_Mother…" _

_Shifu stared with eyes widened in horror, as Tigress' legs tensed up just before she jumped. But she had no wings, she was not an owl, she was not her mother, she could not fly. _

_And so she fell to her death. _

* * *

Shifu woke up with a gasp. He hated those nightmares, but they kept haunting his dreams. He knew what they were telling him, but now he did not know what to do.

He had believed that helping Fenghuang would give him peace.

But the nightmares were still there.

* * *

A/N: You will get to know more about Shu and what she is doing in the next chapter. And the reason why Fenghuang and Tigress so easily could go to the Valley of Peace, was because nobody expected them to do it, because it would be stupid. And now when they are forced to walk, they can hide themselves better than if they were flying.

Again, sorry if some of you are waiting for "Long Lost, Long Hidden". I am doing my best.

And this story now has over 100,000 words! Yay! Party!


	37. Paying Off Debt

A/N: Sorry for the wait. But I have other stories to take care of. So we have reached the third and final part of the story (the first one was until Tigress left the palace, the next one was about the whole fleeing thing, and now we are nearing the end with the last part).

Let's see how Shu is, shall we?

Oh, and about how I know that owls sleep on one leg? I am following an owl family through a live webcam (they just got two kids! So sweet! Now I can see them grow up!) and then I observed it. Plus, I had a budgie for six years before he died, and he too slept on one leg. Birds do that to relax for some reason.

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Paying Off Debt **

"Are you speaking the truth, Miss?"

Shu tried not to be offended. She laid her cold eyes on them. "Of course I am! Why would I not?"

The soldiers shared glances, a bit nervous. Her voice was demanding, but she still was not their leader. Though, they could not help but be suspicious. Fenghuang was an old and so was this old lady.

A connection?

Longwei cleared his throat and took a step forward. "Please forgive my warriors, Miss Shu. Unfortunately, not all we have talked to have been truthful."

Shu hated to admit it, but she was tired. Her age was plaguing her wings and she was trying to hide how much she was panting. It had taken her over a day to find a village, and first now they started to believe her!

The owl lifted her head. "Thank you," she said, voice distant though. "You'll have to hurry; they were already starting to leave when I took off."

"Do you have any idea of where they might be heading?" Longwei asked her, his steel blue eyes meeting hers.

Shu hesitated and she did not know why. She had already told them where Fenghuang had been hiding, then why could she not continue.

But, after all, she was not sure of Fenghuang's destination. She just had an idea of where they could be hiding now, if they already had arrived.

Though, it was foolish and dangerous. Still, Fenghuang had never let such things stop her; she had always thought she was invincible.

But… Maybe she had changed after the tiger came. Getting some responsibility could change a person. Maybe Fenghuang had learned to think about what she was doing and what the consequences might be.

"No," she answered, feeling lightheaded. "But her wing was broken."

Longwei turned around to give his soldiers orders. Fenghuang was slow and Tigress would not leave her. That gave them a chance of catching up with them.

His plan was working after all.

Shu started to walk away, her job was done here. But she was too tired to fly and she did not really feel like returning home. Not now. Not after this.

Then where should she stay? Around her where villagers and soldiers that had been busy searching for her daughter.

Letting out a gasp, Shu realized she needed to rest. She could not fool herself; she was old. Not as fast as she had been. Not as strong.

Not as powerful.

Her head was slightly spinning but she did not call for help. She just needed to find some water and then sleep. But all around her there were whispers, all blaming her.

But it was not her fault! And they should be grateful! Fenghuang was dangerous; she had just saved them all from her!

They should not…

Shu turned her head around to look at Longwei. She did not trust that leopard. And if he thought he could defeat Fenghuang, then he was the fool.

But then she met the eyes of a soldier standing near the leopard. Her entire face was almost covered by the silver helmet, but her eyes could not be mistaken.

The warrior looked directly back at Shu.

Then Shy fell to the ground.

Longwei saw this, but it was a few of his warriors that rushed to the owl's help. But even though it was only a matter of meters, the owl was not moving when they reached her.

"Dead," one of the warriors declared. "The stress was probably too much for her."

Another one gave him right with a rough, "Old people shouldn't walk for so long. Especially not flying."

Longwei watched as nearby villagers came, offering them their help. Good. He did not know much about the owl, and he really did not know what to do with her dead.

The warrior with the purple eyes stared at the scene in front of her until she then turned around to disappear into the crowd.

* * *

"Mother?" Tigress asked sleepily as she just woke up. It was the sound of a gasp that had disturbed her sleep.

Fenghuang stood up, staring into nothing. Her purple eyes were widened and she did not notice her daughter's calls.

"Mother?!"

First then she snapped out of it. "Lower your voice," she hissed warningly.

Tigress looked a bit hurt, but then her worried expression came back. "What happened?" she asked, this time in a whisper.

"Nothing. Go back to bed."

But Tigress remained where she was, staring at her. Had it been a nightmare? Her mother had been strangely worried about her ever since Chorh-Gom. Tigress understood it though, but she wished that her mother also could care about herself.

Tigress could handle herself, and if Fenghuang kept worrying like if Tigress was close to danger all the time, then something bad would happen. Tigress was sure of that.

Now she needed to take care of her mother.

She took a step forward, but then Fenghuang sent her a sharp glance. "Now, Tigress."

With sunken shoulder Tigress did was she was told. Fenghuang remained standing, as still was a statue. She knew what had happened without even knowing how.

Fenghuang did not sleep much that day. And when night came, she had made a plan of how to make things work here in their new… home.

"Where are you going?" Tigress asked her, seeing her open the door.

"I am going to get us some dinner." The owl was about the close the door when she saw that Tigress was now in the doorway, following her. Fenghuang sighed at the sight.

"And what can I do?" Tigress asked but in reality she just said that she wanted to be a part of the plan too.

Fenghuang walked away. "Stay guard."

Tigress glared darkly at her.

"Just for tonight," Fenghuang promised before sneaking down the hallway. Tigress remained where she was but did not loo happy. Though, now she could use her good ears.

Actually, when she concentrated on her hearing, she was pretty sure she could hear a snore coming all the way from the barracks. Probably the panda, she thought with a smirk.

Meanwhile Fenghuang was walking silently through the palace, nearing the kitchen. The antidote sure had helped. Her head was feeling better and her wing was no longer numb. Now she just had to wait for it to heal.

The kitchen was full of food, just as she had expected. Nothing they would miss. Just some bread and some apples.

Her eyes widened as she froze. Behind her… There was someone. She was sure of that. But instead of calling out her daughter's name, she slowly turned her head around, just enough to get a glance of the person.

It was Shifu.

Another nightmare had been disturbing his sleep and he had entered the kitchen with sleepy thoughts in the hope to get some warm milk. Some part of him told him it only worked for little children, but right now he was desperate. He missed his sleep.

But suddenly he was awake. In front of him was Fenghuang. In his kitchen. With her wings full of bread. He blinked, jaw hanging.

Then Fenghuang slowly walked away. She did not talk to him or send him a glance.

When she was gone, Shifu was still standing there, frozen like a statue. What had just happened? Was it….? Was that….?

Shaking his head, he tried getting back to reality. He must have been sleeping. No way Fenghuang could have been here.

Stealing bread…

Yet, Shifu spent the hours of the night walking around the palace. Just to be sure. But he saw no Fenghuang.

Had he really gotten that old?!

Seeing things… Shifu rubbed his face with his paw. He better head back to bed before he also started seeing Tai Lung walking around.

That was when he heard something coming from outside the palace. Footsteps. Fenghuang! He had not been dreaming! She was out there, soon attacking…

He smashed the door open and he was right about one thing; there was a person sneaking around outside.

It just was not Fenghuang.

Ju-long let out a surprised scream, jumped some meters backwards, landing on his bad leg and fell to the ground.

"What are you doing?" Shifu barked at him, immediately standing in front of him.

The wolverine gave him a dark glance. "What about helping up a wounded man?"

Holding back a sigh, Shifu offered him his paw and ragged him up so he could stand. "Now answer my question."

"Just getting some fresh air," Ju-long told him. "I have been wasting my time with being inside too long."

"You were running off," Shifu declared, looking at him.

"Depends on many things."

The Grandmaster raised an eyebrow. "Example?"

"Whether if I can leave by my own will or not."

Shifu looked at him, understanding his question. "No," he then declared. "Your actions have consequences."

"You must understand that it was never my wish to hurt any of-"

"But helping other people with it does not make you innocent," Shifu said. "Guards will come after you tomorrow."

Ju-long nodded shortly. "And where are you sending me?"

"Chorh-Gom. Of course not like Fenghuang, but in another cell. I believe some months are all we can give you."

Ju-long was not happy. Being caught in the middle of his escape, then getting to know that he was going in prison.

But he was not going to try and escape.

Actually, this was might a big chance for him. All the customers he could meet in the prison… All desperate… Fenghuang might have destroyed his home, but he could still have his business.

"Master Shifu?"

The red panda turned around and saw his students.

"We heard yelling," Viper explained for all of them. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes," Shifu answered. "But I would appreciate if some of you could make sure that Ju-long stays in his room until morning."

"Yes, Master."

As they followed the wolverine back into palace, Shifu watched his students go. Po caught his glance. "Master?"

"Just tell me if you see anything suspiciously," Shifu told him.

Po nodded but was not sure why has master was telling him that.

* * *

Fenghuang made it clear that they should be quiet as soon as she entered the room. She quickly lock the door and stood still. Tigress did the same.

They looked into each other's eyes and waited.

About a minute later, they heard footsteps. But then person did not stop, and walked away. When the sounds were gone they let out a revealed sigh.

They did not say anything, though.

Still silent, Fenghuang handed Tigress some bread. She took it with a smile and quickly started eating; she was hungry as it was long time since they had gotten anything to eat.

Fenghuang ate too and there went hours before they dared to talk. "Shifu saw me," Fenghuang said with a low whisper.

Tigress widened her eyes. They were stuck here? If the masters were searching for them, then it would not last long until they would be found.

"Don't worry; he was half asleep. I am pretty sure he thinks his mind is failing him."

"Poor Shifu," Tigress sighed quietly.

Fenghuang raised an eyebrow by her daughter's comment.

"It's not funny thinking you are crazy," Tigress said, defending herself and her opinion. "No matter who you are."

"We were lucky. Just be glad about that."

* * *

Po was hungry. Very hungry. So he could not sleep. His stomach was roaring and he hit it slightly, hoping it would fall quiet again so it did not wake up his friends.

But it did not help and now he was sneaking towards the kitchen. He better eat while being awake so he did not start sleepwalking again. He was pretty sure that he had started doing that in the nights, because he had been noticing that food was disappearing throughout the night.

He had been sleepwalking with the same reason before, so it did make sense.

But when he reached the kitchen someone else was there. Clamping a paw over his mouth to hold in the gasp, Po quickly backed away. What?! What was Fenghuang doing here? Cooking?!

Shocked, he had backed down a hallway that did not lead to the barracks and now the panda found himself stuck. He could not just go back, so he would have to use the other hallways to get to Shifu. It would take longer time, but he would be safe.

Wait… If Fenghuang was here, then where was…? "Tigress," Po whispered under his breath. He then stepped on a floorboard that creaked.

The door in front of him sprung open and there was Tigress, in the doorway, opening the door as she thought it was her mother returning back.

Tigress stared at Po and Po stared at Tigress. He had his mouth opened in disbelief, while Tigress' expression only showed how shocked she was. "You owe me," she then whispered, almost hissing. "You owe me your life. I saved you at Chorh-Gom."

Po just continued staring, but inside his mind he saw the scene again where Tigress saved him from falling into his death.

"You owe me, Po. Don't tell the others."

What were they doing here? His friends… He had to tell them, right?

"I saved your life. Now help me."

* * *

A/N: hope you liked the chapter. The scene with Shu will be explained in the next chapters. I personally love Fenghuang's way of getting away from Shifu. Just pretend nothing is wrong… Nothing going on here…

Thank you for reviewing.


	38. Dumplings

A/N: Back! Wow! I can't believe we have so many chapters! But that also means… *dark whisper* the end is coming near! And as I have said before, they will not be a sequel, so this is like really the end. *sad face* but we still have chapters left!

Haha, I loved the last chapter too! I have been waiting for a long time to put in some humor!

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Dumplings **

Po seemed to have lost his way of speaking. He just stared at the tiger in front of him, gasping out sounds that were supposed to be words. "Yu… wha..? Henah?"

"Snap out of it, panda!" she hissed and before he could react, she slapped him.

For a moment Po only saw stars and he fell to his knees. When his vision started to work again, the hallways was spinning in front of him. "Whoah…"

Tigress rubbed her face with her paw. She had hit him too hard, had she not? Typical of her. Not even now she could control her strength. "Po… Po?" she kept whispering his name until he finally got up. "Look at me."

The panda was still having trouble standing in his vision was far from perfect. "Uhm… Which one of you?" he asked, seeing two tigers who were both glaring angrily at him.

Tigress sighed, knowing it would not last long before her mother was back. "You won't tell anyone," she told him sternly, dragging him away from the room. When they turned a corner she made him stand still by grabbing his shoulders. "Promise me you won't tell them."

"But…" Po was still dizzy and was having a hard time with gathering his thoughts. Tigress was evil. Or at least she had done a lot of mistakes. And now she was standing in front of him, basically begging him.

He did not have the time to answer as Tigress heard footsteps; her mother was coming back. Growling in frustration, she left Po hidden while she quickly jumped two times, quickly landing in the doorway. She only had the time to turn around before her mother arrived.

"What are you doing?" the owl asked in a whisper.

"Standing guard."

"Tigress, you must not leave the room."

"I know. I just heard something, but it was just you."

Fenghuang sighed loudly. "Let's go inside."

Then the door became closed and the 'click' sound told Po that they had locked the door. He was still standing around the corner, frozen. But he had heard Tigress and Fenghuang's brief conversation and had realized something.

They were _living_ here!

But for how long? Duh, since the food had started to disappear which was some days ago.

… Seriously?

If they got caught they would go to prison or worse, and they decide to hide in the same house where the enemy is living?

And people called him crazy!

But… What could he do about it? Should he tell his master so they could avoid an attack again? Fenghuang was probably already creating plans, her dark thoughts about how she could send them all down in the dungeon again…

But then he heard Tigress begging him again. She had been so desperate. He may not know the tiger very well, but one thing was sure; she was not the type that would fall to her knees often. And by looking into her eyes, he knew that she was being serious.

She _needed_ him. If he did not keep his mouth shut, then it was game over for them.

Tigress had been right about one thing; she had saved his life. And then he owed her, right?

Or did he?

She had tricked them and put them in prison. Though, she had saved their life, which made it okay, kinda. Then he had tried to save her by warning her, yet it had failed. And when she had escaped, she had saved his life…

DID HE OWE HER OR NOT?

Po groaned as he walked back to his room. If his attempt to save her could be counted, then he did not owe her. But as he technically did not save her, then he did owe her.

… He never liked math.

Plan B; follow your heart. That sounded wise and had often helped him. Because that was how a Dragon Warrior should be, right? Fair, but also caring.

So what did his heart tell him?

Well, Tigress was maybe not his favorite person, but she was trying to set things right. He knew that. Besides, they had been staying here for days without even trying to attack them! And then there was the fact that she had saved his life…

But if they really were planning something, then his friends were in danger. If they were attacked, maybe they all would fail; just like the last time. And he doubted that Fenghuang would spare their lives this time.

And if Shifu found out that he was keeping them a secret, then he was a dead panda. A very dead panda.

But if he kept it a good secret then Shifu would never find out.

When Po's head hit his bed, he had still not made his decision.

* * *

"Po?"

"Whaa..?" Came the sleepy reply from the panda sitting on the chair in front of her.

Viper sighed and tried again. "Is something wrong?"

Po tried to smile, though his brain was busy thinking about something else. "No. Like, why should there be that? It's a new day, blue sky and all those things."

Monkey shared a glace with the others, but then said, "It's breakfast, Po, and you aren't eating."

First now Po realized it was true. They were all staring at him as he poked the dumpling with his chopstick instead of eating it. "I'm just not hungry," he said while shrugging.

But instead of calming them down, he made them all gasp. "You aren't sick or something, or you, Po?" Monkey asked him again.

"Of course not!" the panda exclaimed. "See?" He immediately stated eating and slowly the others began to relax. Though, Po had troubles swallowing as he then again remembered his problem.

Tell, not tell. Tell, not tell. Tell…

"Po?"

The panda fell off his chair with a surprised yell, but quickly looked up to see Shifu glancing down at him. "Master Shifu! I… Uhm…? I don't have an answer for that."

"An answer for what, panda? I did not ask you a question."

"Yeah, I guess that explains it," Po said while getting up. "So what is it?"

"Training starts now. No time for daydreaming."

He turned around to leave the kitchen, and Po quickly followed him. "Have you heard anything about-?"

"I have been informed that Ju-long has arrived at Chorh-Gom," Shifu told him as they were heading towards the training hall.

"That was early."

"Ju-long had to be carried because of his broken leg."

"Lucky guy," Po grinned, but then turned serious. "Hey, Shifu?"

The red panda looked up, a bit annoyed by the panda's call. "Yes?"

"Where do you think Fenghuang and Tigress are?" the panda asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible.

Shifu thought about it for some moments. "Hopefully far from here," he then said and opened the door to the training hall.

"Yeah… No, seriously; where do you think they are?" Po asked him.

Shifu stopped to look at him. "I do not know, Po," he almost barked. "But if I knew, I would surely tell you and the others so we could do something about it. Now we have to focus on training so we are prepared when they return."

He almost thought that Po was finished with asking questions, but there he was wrong. "You think they will return?" Po asked him.

"Yes, I do. Now start training."

* * *

Tigress was finally allowed to go outside the room. Fenghuang could feel how the tiger got more and more tense, and she knew something bad would happen if she did not get just a tiny bit of freedom.

Actually, what had softened up the owl was hearing the tiger whimper while sleeping. That was when Fenghuang had realized that Tigress once again had to face her fear. Being stuck in a small room reminded her awfully of Bao Gu; and the time in Chorh-Gom definitely had not helped her fear.

Now Tigress was going to the kitchen to fetch their dinner. Her mother had given her instructions about what to do. Not take what they would miss; just get some bread again…

How Tigress missed a real warm dinner instead of dried fruit and bread.

Then she had asked her mother about how long they were going to stay here. Her mother had told her that she did not know. And when she asked her about where they would go after leaving the palace, she had gotten the same answer.

All day she had been nervous about the panda revealing them. But no warriors had stormed their little room, but she could not just fear it would happen.

Maybe he was just waiting for the right time. Or maybe they already knew, but were waiting for the guards to arrive…

Tigress swallowed her spit. She really should tell her mother, shouldn't she? It was the right thing to do. After all this talk about being honest, maybe Tigress should try and speak the truth.

But she was ashamed. Fenghuang would be so mad if she found out that she had kept it as a secret.

And why had she done that? Because she did not want her mother to hurt the panda, and she did not want to leave either.

Because she knew that maybe they could trust the panda.

Her mother trusted no one, but now Tigress knew they had to get some help. They could not do this on their own anymore.

The kitchen was empty for people and Tigress relaxed. No ambush here. Actually, it seemed like the warriors had made too many dumplings for their dinner, as there was a bowl with them, standing on the table.

"Panda," she breathed out, before picking up the bowl. It had to be a sign. He had left it there for her.

To tell her that he was going to keep them a secret.

Tigress smiled, her eyes getting soft. Someone still believed in her.

Then maybe he could help her too. She needed help to create the plan that could give her and her mother a life in piece.

The panda could help her with that too.

She returned back to the room with the dumplings, but her mother was not happy about that sight. "What's that?" she asked, looking at the bowl after locking the door.

"Dumplings," Tigress answered flatly, sitting down on her bed.

"Tigress," Fenghuang sighed. "Return them."

"Why? They won't miss them."

"When they see they are gone, they will know something is wrong," Fenghuang said, walking towards her as if she was going to take the bowl form the tiger.

Tigress glared at her, not giving her it. "They won't notice it. Trust me."

"There's no room for mistakes here, Tigress."

The tiger snorted. "Here's nearly no room at all! Can't we-?"

"No. Go back and-"

"They'll just think it's the panda that ate it," Tigress said while shrugging. "If you won't eat, then I will. I am getting sick of bread."

Fenghuang was about to protest again, but then changed her mind. "You better be right."

"I am. It's just some food; they'll think the servant cleaned it up. It's not that complicated." She picked up the first dumpling. "Aren't you hungry?"

Sighing, Fenghuang gave up.

They ate in silence and when they were finished, Tigress placed the empty bowl. She then stood on the middle of the floor, taking in a deep breath, before kicking the air. She gracefully twirled around, kicking and hitting nothing.

"Tigress, this isn't the time for Kung Fu," Fenghuang told her with a low voice.

Tigress briefly looked at her. "Well, I don't believe you would let me use the training hall, would you?"

"Of course not. I already let you leave this room one time today; now don't push it."

The tiger snorted. "It's not like an army is waiting for us if we cross the doorway." She then continued fighting her invisible enemy, though making sure she did not move around in the room, but stayed on the middle. "And I need to train."

"Why?"

The question surprised the tiger. "Because… I won't forget what I have used my whole life learning. The time in Chorh-Gom has affected me; I won't let myself become even weaker."

"You aren't weak."

"_We_ are," Tigress protested. "Don't deny it. We would not win another fight. You are injured and I am out of shape."

"True. But we are not going to fight anyone."

"Please, I don't believe you will stay hidden forever," Tigress told her mother.

Fenghuang tilted her head. "And why not?"

"Because when you want something, you get it. Not by waiting or fleeing. You take it."

"Then what is it that I want?" Fenghuang asked her daughter, but then continued, "I want a safe life for both of us, and you do not get something like that by taking it. So far this is a safe place. I won't let anything ruin that."

Tigress sighed and lowered her arms. She then sat down on the floor, looking at her mother. "Then what should I do?"

"Sleep, wait, be quiet."

"That's boring. You know it won't work. It can't last long before I can't take it anymore."

"But you have to, Tigress!" Fenghuang exclaimed. "You have to pull yourself together."

Tigress dropped her jaw as her mother hissed at her. "I can do this," she then said with a thick voice.

Fenghuang still glared down at her. "There's no room for mistakes, Tigress," she then said again, gently stroking her head. "And I fear a mistake will be lethal."

"Goodnight," Tigress muttered, pulling herself away from her to lie down on her bed.

Even after Fenghuang fell asleep, Tigress was still awake. She had to find a way to speak with the panda.

And so she made a plan.

* * *

A/N: Not much to say. Hope you enjoyed it, and yes, the next chapter will get more exciting.

Please review.


	39. Partnership

A/N: I am just so ready to write for this story! Which scares me since the end is coming, but we still have an epic fight in the end! Did I just spoil it? Nah… But be excited!

And thank you so much for the 70 favs! It's amazing! And I who was thinking of deleting this story in the start… Silly me. Glad I didn't ;)

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings,** **Partnership **

Fenghuang was unable to sleep. Each minute she would face a new wall, her eyes searching around for any possible threats. She hated staying here. She hated the constant risk of being discovered.

She hated not belonging anywhere.

But after being awake night after night, she thought she might have a plan. Because Shaoqiang might have been foolish, but not stupid. He knew what he was doing.

He had left to travel to Japan.

Maybe now it was time for her to do the same. With Tigress, of course. The thought of leaving the tiger bugged her. People said that if you loved someone then you had to let her go… And most children would move away when they grew up.

But not Tigress.

Tigress was different. Tigress was hers.

If she let go of her, then she would be like Shifu… She would not sink that low.

The tiger was asleep, and Fenghuang was amazed how she could spend all her hours like that. But then again, what else could she do? This was not like the mountain where she could run free.

Fenghuang sighed and gently stroked Tigress' cheek. The tiger wrinkled her nose, but did not open her eyes. In her sleep, she took in a deep breath.

Japan… Would it work? It was some of a trip, and even though her wing was healing quickly, it would take time before it became as strong as it was before.

Time… How far had Longwei come? Was he still trying to find them or had he eventually given up?

And then there was Shifu… What did that old panda had in mind? Which side was he on? Because he had let her escape, yet, she did not believe he would truly help them all along.

He was still the grandmaster and he still had to follow the laws. Grandmaster… Were they really that old now? She still remembered when they had trained together, when he still had been a bit clumsy and his fur still had its originally brown colors.

Now everything was just turning into gray. Stupid age. She had become older too. A shame, really. She had been magnificent. Not that she was not now; now she was just… powerful in a different way.

She yawned. She really should sleep. Maybe her dreams would show her a way to escape… She never really liked the idea of living in Japan, but now they were running out of ideas. And maybe Tigress liked the idea; she should ask her when she woke up again.

Japan…

Then Fenghuang actually preferred that stupid mountain she had been living in.

As the owl finally gave up and fell asleep, though, her dreams disturbed by nightmares about strangers with no faces, Tigress opened her golden eyes.

Still lying in bed, she took in a deep breath. A plan… A risk…

Her mother was simply going to kill her if she found out. But the owl was tired; her stern attitude was caused by lack of sleep, and her face just seemed like it was going to crack at some points. Tigress was on the other hand not exhausted.

She had spent most of her time sleeping as it was the easiest way to wait.

But she continued lying down until she was completely sure that Fenghuang was asleep, but as she stood up the owl's eyes flung open. "Tigress?" she asked her, then her tone turned suspicious. "Where are you going?"

"I just woke up," Tigress explained, and then sat down on the floor. "Can't sleep."

Fenghuang let out an understanding sound, but then let her eyelids drop again. Tigress sighed; she was stuck again.

Why could her mother just not stop worrying for one second? Though, Tigress had to admit that she too was listening after dangers all the time. She could not blame her mother for being like this.

But it just made everything so much more difficult.

* * *

"Po? Po, are you even listening?"

The panda opened his eyes by the sound of someone calling his name. "No! I mean yes! Eh… What was the question again?"

Shifu sighed. "Are you feeling well, Dragon Warrior?"

Po thought about it. "Nope, not really. Do I look sick?"

"You seem even more distracted than normally which is quite a deal," Shifu told him. "What troubling you?"

"Nothing. Really." Po nervously twisted his own thumbs. "So… Have you heard from Master Longwei?"

"No, Po. Not yet," Shifu answered and was about to turn his attention towards his other students that were actually training, but then Po came with another question.

"You don't think something has happened, do you?"

"I think they are busy searching for Fenghuang," the red panda calmly answered.

"And Tigress," Po added.

Shifu nodded. "And Tigress."

And Po decided to spit it out. Well, not exactly, but he needed some advice. "Shifu, have you ever tried not really knowing what to do?"

"Yes, Po, I have. I believe all share that feeling at a point. But why are you asking me?"

"Well, because I don't think my stomach and my brain are very good at agreeing."

Shifu raised an eyebrow. "Your stomach?"

Po nodded seriously. "Yeah. The brain does all the logic thinking part, but the stomach… it just come with some feelings that doesn't agree with my brain."

"You should find your balance, Dragon Warrior. One must have both logic and feeling to succeed," Shifu told his student.

The panda scratched the back of his neck. "Okay… I think I know what to do then."

"And what is that?"

"Now I will listen to my stomach and go to the kitchen where I will eat my lunch," Po declared, turning around to leave the training hall.

Shifu shook his head silently; he would never understand how the panda's mind worked. And even though Po was supposed to train right now, Shifu let him go this time. The panda had been having a weird behavior the last few days and Shifu hoped some time alone would help the panda.

Watching his other students train, Shifu was reminded of Tiger. He should have kept a better eye on him. Maybe then many wrong things could have been avoided. Yet, was he doing the same mistake now by letting Po solving his problems alone.

Tiger had been buried outside the palace; Fenghuang had actually taken care of the body, but the grave had been nothing special; they could just see how fresh dirt had been laid on top of something. Cruel as Fenghuang may be, she would always honor a sacrifice, especially if it had something to do in a battle.

That had not changed, not even now.

But when the warriors had returned, they had made a proper grave for the tiger. And even though Shifu now knew of his student's betrayal, he was not angry. It had been his job to teach the tiger about the balance of power. He had failed to do that, and then Tiger was not to blame.

Besides, Tiger was dead, and there was no reason to blame the dead.

Deciding that he would write to Longwei so he could hear how the searching was doing, Shifu left the training hall to. Though, he went to his room instead of the kitchen; he was not hungry.

* * *

Po was humming an self-made action song when a bowl fell to the ground behind him and was smashed to hundreds of pieces. The panda froze; how could he knock it down if he was here…

He immediately spun around, threatening the intruder his weapon.

"A spoon?" Tigress commented. "You must really fear me, Dragon Warrior."

Po stared at his weapon again before lowering it.

"Sorry about the bowl, but I believe I would have frightened you more if I called out your name," Tigress explained, relaxing by leaning her back against the wall. "Your friends aren't coming, are they?"

"No, they are in the training hall… But you aren't supposed to be here!" the panda exclaimed, though making sure to lower his voice so they would not be discovered.

"I need to talk with you."

"Eh… Now is not really the time…"

"Mother is asleep. I don't have much time before she wakes up and then we'll both be in trouble."

Po groaned. "Okay then. But come." They quickly walked down the hallways, Po's eye searching for any kind of threats; suspiciously looking servants, for example.

Tigress was more calm; she had made sure that no one was there. When they entered Po's room, he closed the door behind them.

Tigress wrinkled her nose. "So that's the room of a true Dragon Warrior. Just as disgusting as the last time I was here. You really should clean up."

"You've been in my room?" Po asked, a bit stunned.

"When you were in the dungeon, yes. But that is not what we need to talk about." She took in a deep breath. "I need your help."

"Yeah, I know; and I promise I won't tell anyone about-"

"It's more than that," Tigress quickly said. "You need to help us with getting away from here."

Po widened his eyes. Was he really doing this? "What?" he asked with a hoarse voice.

"Mother and I can't stay here. You know that too. But we just don't know where else to go." The tiger lowered her ears and her expression became softer. "We are not trying to hurt anyone, not anymore. But if we try not to hide, they'll find us and that's one ticket back to Chorh-Gom; and that is only if we are lucky. Now when mother broke their cage, I don't know if they will take the chance and lock her up again or-" She did not finish the sentence as the panda understood.

"I get it," Po said, trying to keep his thoughts in focus. "But… what can I do?"

The question somewhat surprised Tigress. "I… I am not sure. I just can't do this alone."

"You know, people don't really ask _me_ for advice. They want some clever guy like Shifu-"

"I can't talk with Shifu," Tigress said, even though he already knew that. "I can't talk with anyone else than my mother, and she refuse to let me help."

"Why?"

Tigress' face darkened. "Because she thinks I am helpless or something like that. I know that she is just worried, but I have to show her that I can manage this."

And Po remembered how his own father, Mister Ping, had fought to really believe his son could be the Dragon Warrior. That he could face the world's danger. It had been hard for the goose to realize that Po was not really his little panda anymore, but the great Dragon Warrior.

Was Fenghuang going through the same?

"I am not helpless, but I need help. And that's not the same," she said sternly.

"So you're trusting me?" Po asked, stunned, while pointing at himself with his thumb.

She nodded slowly. "I am trusting you, Panda."

"Could you please call me 'Po'. 'Panda' is kinda the name Shifu uses when he is not too satisfied with me," Po grinned.

"Po," Tigress said, tasting the word. She knew that it was his name, but she did not really like it using it in front of her mother. The owl called him 'Panda' and Tigress had done the same. "I don't have much time before she wakes up. Can we meet again tomorrow?"

"Okay, listen. You trust me, right?" Po said, changing subject. Tigress nodded again, a bit confused. "I have to trust you too. So you have to promise me that you won't be evil again."

The tiger looked offended. "I have never been evi-"

"You know what I mean. No biting, not fighting, no taking over the palace, no betrayal, no lies-"

"I get it!" Tigress cut him off. "But I expect the same from you, Panda… Po."

Po then held out his paw and Tigress shook it. "Okay, so when can we talk again?"

"Tomorrow. Until then you must try and find ideas about where Mother and I could live, where no one can find us. If you help us with getting away, we will never bug you again."

"What about the Noodle Shop. Shifu can't find us there-"

"It's too far away. If Mother wakes up and I am not there, she'll attack."

Po grimaced at the thought. "Not the Noodle Shop then."

"We can just meet here again," Tigress suggested.

"Isn't it kinda risky?"

"Po, I am living in the same house as Shifu. Everything is risky for us."

Nodding, Po said, "Same time as today? I have to come up with a good excuse to get away from training-"

"Have to go," Tigress quickly said, before almost leaping out of the room. "Tomorrow."

"Bye," Po weakly called out but she was already gone. She was very fast. But that was a good thing, especially when you were in her situation.

Betrayal… He was not betraying Shifu, was he? He was just helping Tigress out, and they had all agreed that the whole 'taking-over-the-palace-thing' had not been Tigress' fault.

And he was the Dragon Warrior and it was his job to protect those who needed his protection. He was doing the right thing!

… But if Shifu found out, then he was a dead panda.

* * *

Tigress knew she had wasted too much time. She had promised the panda that they would not attack the palace, but she could not control her mother. If Fenghuang found out what she was doing, then Tigress did not know how the owl would react.

She silently opened the door, ready to sneak back inside, but as she stood in the doorway, Fenghuang's eyes flew open.

* * *

A/N: THANK YOU! 70 favorites! That's amazing! Like, seriously! When I see the number I feel like I am getting closer to ruling the world! (Just kidding :P) But seriously, thanks. Like thank you very much!

So how can we celebrate this? Hmm… I don't feel like it was very long time since we reached the 50, so…

Yeah, what about I ask you guys a question? I actually need your help so… As some of you might know, I am working on a lot of Danish one-shots (not to fanfiction) and in one of my final Danish exams, I might have to write an one-shot.

So what has been your favorite part in the story so far?

I really want to know as it might give me some inspiration to find ideas to write about. Thank you ;)


	40. Caught In Action

A/N: Have I ever told you have much I love you readers? Last time I updated this story I celebrated having 70 favs; now we just need one more to celebrate 75! Admit it; it's awesome! And now this story soon has been out for a year! It feels like it was only yesterday…

Oh, and if you are a crazy Gorillaz fan like me, you will recognize the two first lines about the toilets. I love those so much (from the "Gorillaz Dressing Room") that I just have to borrow them ;)

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Caught In Action **

"_What_ are you doing?" Fenghuang exclaimed. The owl's shriek was actually pretty loud; seeing Tigress entering the room had shocked her so much that she forgot to be quiet.

Tigress looked at her with her mouth agape. She needed to come up with a lie quickly. "Toilet," she answered simply, closing her mouth again.

"Toilet? What do you mean 'toilet'?" Fenghuang came closer, and Tigress quickly closed the door behind her.

"That I needed to go to the toilet," she said calmly. "And I am back now. No one saw me."

Fenghuang opened her beak, but then fell silent again. No more discussions. She wanted Tigress to be in a good mood, and that would not happen if she started scolding her again. Taking in a deep breath, she said as calmly as she could, though still with a sharp tone, "Very well then."

Tigress raised an eyebrow, but did not ask why her mother suddenly changed opinion. At least she escaped some trouble. "I won't do it again," she said, to be nice.

"Good. If you run into them while I am sleeping, I cannot help you." The sentence was meant just to be a fact she had to know, but Tigress could sense her mother's fear.

"I'll be fine." She paused before saying, "Have you ever wondered whether they would attack or not?"

"What do you mean?" Fenghuang asked suspiciously. Did Tigress know the truth about how she had escaped the cage?

"It's just, the panda did try and save at the time when I became captured," Tigress said slowly.

Fenghuang snorted. "You just said it yourself; _when you became captured_. Doesn't that say enough?"

Tigress closed her mouth, not wanting to discuss this further as she understood her mother would not like her plans. But Po could be trusted. She was sure of that.

Because… if he betrayed her then it was over.

"I just… We need some help, don't we?"

"We can handle ourselves," Fenghuang told her. "That's something I thought you understood, Tigress. Why we are living a lonesome life. But we have each other and that is enough."

"But I don't want you to end up like Uncle! And I don't want to go back to Chorh-Gom!"

"That won't happen," Fenghuang told her softly. "Not again. I promise you that." She quickly pulled the stunned tiger into a hug before she could protest.

"You have a plan?" Tigress asked breathlessly.

Fenghuang nodded, though the tiger could not see it. "Japan."

Tigress felt her mind go black. "What?" she managed to gasp out.

The owl pulled away. "Once my wing is strong enough, we will leave." She started walking around the room, looking at some of the books that were in the bookshelf.

Tigress dropped her jaw. "Japan?" she whimpered confused.

"We can start a whole new life there!" Fenghuang exclaimed happily. "No one knows about our past! No one will try and put us in jail! No one will hunt us! We can buy a house, living in a city! Don't you want to try that?!"

The tiger did not answer, she was too stunned.

Fenghuang continued, "A peaceful life, just as you wanted! And maybe we can try and find Shaoqiang."

"But you didn't like Shaoqiang," Tigress whimpered again.

"Well, he was my brother; I was supposed to hate him. I am sure he will understand when we tell him about our situation." It was almost like they were already there; Fenghuang could imagine it all. Yes, Japan truly was the answer. Everything could work out just fine.

Tigress found her way back to her bed where she sat down. "But… I thought you didn't like fleeing."

"This isn't like that. This is a new start. You know it yourself, Tigress; we can't stay here and there is nowhere else to go. But Japan… That's a whole other thing!"

Tigress did not want to disturb her mother's sudden happiness, but remained at her bed with sunken shoulders and her eyes glaring at the floor.

* * *

Shifu read the letter again. He was not exactly pleased with the message he had received, but what could he do? Longwei was now coming to the Jade Palace, bringing with him his whole army.

Apparently they had seen an owl flying towards the palace, and now Shifu wondered why Fenghuang was returning back here. Did she not think?

Maybe… the time in the kitchen… It had been a vision. A very weird vision.

He must warn his students. If Fenghuang really was returning, then a fight was probably necessary. The owl was no going to take back his palace again.

But… if they had seen an owl on the sky, then where was Tigress. Longwei had not written anything about her.

Had Fenghuang's tiny team decided to split up?

He hoped so. The more Tigress was away from her mother the better. He had seen Tigress rescue Po, he knew she did care about them.

It was Fenghuang he was worried about.

"Students," he called loudly as he entered the training hall again. They all looked up at him, and that was when he noticed someone was missing. "Is Po still in the kitchen?" he thought out loud, remembering how he had let the panda miss training.

"Here!" Po called, running towards him from behind. "Sorry, just heard your-"

"Fenghuang is returning back to the Jade Palace," Shifu announced. The students dropped their jaws, including Po who stared at his master in shock. What?!

"What?!" Po thought out loud.

"By any means, we should prepare for a fight," Shifu said. "Master Longwei and his warriors are on their way, but Fenghuang will, if that is her plan, arrive before them."

"And Tigress?"

Shifu hesitated on that on. "They did not write that she was carrying a tiger. Though, Tigress could very well be traveling by foot or they have decided to split up. Fenghuang is the main threat; if we defeat her, Tigress will be defeated too."

Monkey snorted sarcastically, "Because that worked so very well the last time."

Po opened his mouth, then closed it again, but then decided to speak. "Is there… any chance that Fenghuang maybe isn't coming here to fight us?"

They all stared at him in shock. "What do you mean, Po?" Viper asked him.

"Just… maybe she changed her mind," the panda suggested. "Tigress did save me in Chorh-Gom…"

"That's Tigress, not Fenghuang," Crane commented.

Shifu remembered what had happened in Chorh-Gom and was quiet. But no; Fenghuang could not have changed her mind; she was too stubborn. In by seeing Tigress in prison, she might have a whole new wish of revenge.

"Maybe it's not Fenghuang," Po then suggested. "There has to be more owls than her in China; maybe they saw another one."

"We can't take the chances, Po," Master Shifu told him. "If Fenghuang really is coming here, then we must be prepared."

The others started training again, but Po remained where he was standing. If Fenghuang was returning to the Jade Palace… then how could she already be here?

Were there two of them?! Evil twin sister? Random owl?

He had to ask Tigress the next time he saw her.

Which was tomorrow in his room.

* * *

"There's something I have to tell you."

They said it in unison, confusing each other. Tigress raised an eyebrow. "You first," she then said, believing her news could wait.

Po rubbed his neck. "Longwei spotted your mother."

"What?" Tigress exclaimed, though, still in a quiet tone. "He's here?" She did not like the leopard; not at all. He was creepy, and there was something in his eyes she did not like. Especially after the episode in Chorh-Gom she had lost all trust to him. Wait; she had never really trusted him, but after that she just did not like him.

Besides; her mother had told her that he once had been in love with her.

That was just gross.

Po shook his head. "No, not yet. But he is on his way, along with his army. They saw an owl on the sky, flying towards the Jade Palace-"

"But that cannot be mother. She won't leave the palace; she's still in the room right now," Tigress told him.

"Then who was the owl?"

Tigress thought about it in some seconds, but then she realized it. "Shu," she hissed.

"Who?"

"Shu!" Tigress repeated.

"Who?" Po asked again, very confused, and it did not help that the two words rhymed.

Tigress sighed; did he not know anything?! "Fenghuang's mother," she explained.

Po frowned. "She has a mother?"

"Of course, you idiot! Someone had to lay the egg, if you even know how that works," Tigress scolded him with crossed arms.

"Alright, I get it! But why should she lead Longwei towards you?"

"She isn't exactly that happy about my mother. Shu has already left to reveal our hiding place once; she has probably figured out we are here, but wants to see if it is true." Tigress sighed loudly. "And there goes our only chance."

Po did not lie how sad the tiger seemed and tried to change subject by asking, "So… what were you going to tell me?"

"Mother has a plan," Tigress said quietly, sitting down on his bed.

"Really? Isn't that good?"

"She says we are going to move to Japan."

"Oh…" Po stared at her. "Uhm… Why?"

"Because there no one will recognize us. I know it probably is a good idea, but I don't like it." She scowled. "I don't even know how to speak Japanese! And maybe there are rumors about us there! And I doubt that we will even succeed getting out of China; there are too many spies everywhere. And… I just don't wan to leave."

Po cringed. What could he say? "Well, I…"

"I know I don't exactly have a home, but China is the closest I can get to it. If I don't even belong in the whole country… then where do I belong?" She snorted. "Definitely not in Japan."

"But… where else would you stay?" Po asked her carefully.

"That is what I was hoping you could answer for me," Tigress told him. "With your help, we could try and stay here…"

"Nope," Po quickly said. "That's not a good idea. Shifu and the others-"

"I know. I am just hoping. And now with Shu coming, I guess it's just time to leave. For real. We just have to wait for mother's wing to heal."

Po could not help but ask, "And how long is that?"

"Soon." Tigress stood up from the bed again. "I really appreciate your help, Po, but I guess Mother made the plans for us."

The panda started to feel sad too. "Maybe there is still something-"

"Not else that if you could continue putting away food for us. Am thankful for that too. I have to leave; Mother will soon notice I am gone again. It was only by luck she didn't discover our secret yesterday."

Po opened the door for her and stood in the doorway. "I am trying to convince the others that you are good."

"I know. Thanks."

"No problem. You did save my life after-"

"Po? Who are you talking too?"

Tigress widened her eyes and Po let out a surprised sound. Monkey was just about to turn the corner, and then he would see Tigress.

Panicking, Po tried to hide her by shoving her back into the room, but before they could close the door, Monkey was in front of them.

First the ape did not believe what he was seeing. But then he blinked with his eyes and dropped his jaw. "You?"

Po was then finally able to close the door. "Nope! Nothing to see here! Just… go find your cookies."

"What is _she_ doing here?!" Monkey exclaimed, already running towards him.

But as he reached the door, Po pushed him away. "Po!" the monkey exclaimed, leaping towards the door only to be kicked away. "What are you doing?"

"I…"

"What is going on?!"

The two comrades froze and stared at Shifu who was looking at them with a sharp glance. Before they could answer, he opened the door to Po's room.

Being too late to stop it room happening, Po cried it, "Please don't freak out!"

"What are you hiding?" Shifu asked him, and Po turned around to see that the room was empty. Letting out a revealed sigh though still confused about where Tigress had went, he relaxed a bit.

"It was Tigress!" Monkey exclaimed.

"What?" Shifu barked, not believing what he was hearing.

"He's just kidding, aren't you, Monkey?" Po said nervously, trying to sound happy.

But Monkey was just very confused. Why was Po trying to hide her? "I saw her," the Monkey muttered, trying to get inside the room, but Po blocked the way once again.

"Po, is it true?" Shifu asked him sternly, but did not wait to get an answer. "Po, if Tigress really is here, we have to stop her."

"Then let me get through!" Monkey exclaimed, still trying to push Po out of the way.

"But she's not in there! You saw it yourself!" Po tried once again. "So why not just-? DUCK!"

"Huh?" Monkey asked, but was forced down to the ground as Po leapt forwards and landed on him. A throwing knife was now embedded in the wall just beside the doorway.

"Fenghuang!" Shifu yelled, already sprinting towards owl.

Po tried to get up by using his arms, allowing Monkey to look up from under him, seeing Shifu on his way to fight Fenghuang. The next second something jumped onto Po's back, forcing him down and crushing poor Monkey once again.

It was Tigress, who had been hiding in the room by hoisting herself towards the ceiling, using her claws, and was now sprinting through the hallway to help her mother.

Fenghuang had woken up, seeing that Tigress was gone, heard yelling, and then she had been storming out of the room to save her daughter.

Way to destroy a hiding place.

Luckily, unbeknown Tigress, she had collected different forms of weapons as she had searched for dinner. Knowing very well that they would have to defend themselves eventually, she was ready to fight.

Shifu quickly stepped aside, letting Tigress run past him, almost hitting her mother. But Fenghuang was just as fast; a movement with her good wing caused Tigress to be shoved behind the owl.

"Wait!" Po yelled, finally getting up. He was on his way towards Fenghuang and Tigress, when the owl spun around, wings outstretched. Po only avoided getting caught by falling backwards. "Whoah! Angry bird!"

"Mother!" Tigress called, but the owl did not react. Lifting her wing, she laid her glance on Shifu.

Po and Tigress shared a glance, both knowing they had to stop this.

"Fenghuang," Shifu said grimly. "You are early."

"How dare you attack her?!" Fenghuang almost growled. "I heard you!"

"And we heard you!" The rest of Shifu's students now arrived in the narrow hallway after having heard the chaos. Now they were ready to defend their master. Turning towards the owl and the tiger, they had all taken fighting stances, except Po, who was still trying to come up with a plan.

"Wait!"

* * *

A/N: And it finally happens! Did you like the "angry birds" joke? ;)

So we are close to reaching two goals now! 3 more reviews and we'll hit the 500, and 1 more favorite and we'll have 75! And now we have 40 chapters! And also, in six days this story has been out for a year! Much to celebrate, huh?

And again, guys. There will be no Tigress/Po romance, but friendship.

Thank you for your support!


	41. Kind Of Friends

A/N: You guys are amazing! Soon this story will appear on the first page when you search after favorites. Again, thank you! So yeah, I know the story has gotten awfully long, but maybe that's a good thing. I don't know! But yeah, we have to finish this story!

Thank you for reaching 500 reviews!

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Kind Of Friends **

Tigress tried to leap forward, but Fenghuang's strong wings stopped her. Instead she managed to see Po hurling himself into the middle of the fight, stopping both warriors.

"Wait!" he said again.

"Po!" Shifu said warningly, keeping an eye on Fenghuang that looked like she soon was going to attack, not caring who she hit. "Get out of the way!"

"No! Just, hear me out! Tigress and I are partners!"

"PARTNERS?!" Nearly every one exclaimed, misunderstanding the term.

Po resisted a face-palm. "Like business partners!"

Sighing, Tigress decided to clear things out. "We're friends," she spoke softly. "Kind of."

"Yeah!" Po agreed with her. "Kind of…"

Tigress took a deep breath before continuing, "And we are not here to attack." She said the sentence sternly, a message to her a mother to lower her fighting stance.

Fenghuang was frozen and there went some seconds before she actually reacted. But what she did was just to squint.

Shifu did too also have his fighting stance; he waited until he was sure Fenghuang did the same. Though, the students dropped it and just looked around, confused. Was it really true?

"Mother," Tigress repeated sternly.

Finally, after looking into Shifu's eyes, Fenghuang lowered her wings. Then she turned around, pushing Tigress down the hall. "Come, my dear. We'll be leaving," she said with a nearly closed beak. It was obvious she was forcing herself to be calm.

But they both stopped walking as Shifu called out, "I want to know what is going on!"

"Then ask your panda!" Fenghuang hissed and was about to try and leave again when someone else stopped them.

This time it was Po who raised his voice. "Wait! If we promise we won't attack and you promise the same, can't we just talk then?"

Tigress was relieved that the panda did try and help them, but it was her mother that answered. "And what is there to talk about, panda? How you send us to prison?"

"Or how you put us in the dungeon?" Monkey gave back, receiving a hiss from the owl.

"Actually," Shifu said loudly, "I would like to have a conversation with you, Fenghuang."

The owl scowled. "Do you? Well, I don't."

"But I believe you owe me," the red panda said calmly. He then looked her into the eyes, and she understood that if she did not do what he was saying, then he would tell them all the truth about how she really escaped Chorh-Gom.

And she really did not like Tigress to hear that.

"Tigress," she said, still looking at Shifu. "Go to the room and lock the door. Do not speak with any of them until I get back."

The tiger looked at Po, then back at her mother, and opened her mouth to protest. But then she realized she already had managed to get Fenghuang to listen which was impressive. No reason to push it further.

Give them all a short nod, she turned around to go to their not so secret room. Fenghuang sent Shifu a sharp glance. "You said you wanted to talk?" she spat mockingly.

"Yes," was Shifu's calm answer. "Follow me." But before walking away with the owl, he sent his students a glance that told them to remain here.

Then the two masters calmly walked away.

The Furious 'Four' turned towards poor Po who immediately became nervous. "So… quite a surprise, huh?"

"You hid her in the Jade Palace?!" Mantis exclaimed, jumping in front of the panda.

Po started twiddling his thumbs. "Well… Not exactly… I just accidently met her some days ago. They had been hiding here for a long time before that."

"And then you decided to be friends with her?" Crane asked him.

"Well… She did save my life in Chorh-Gom, so we were not exactly enemies-"

"And you didn't tell us about all?" Viper asked him, a bit hurt.

"Oh come on! You know why! You would just tell Shifu and he would tell Master Longwei and then Fenghuang and Tigress would get caught. And they don't deserve that. Well, at least Tigress doesn't. And she's actually kind of nice. I bet none of you can say that you don't like her at all!"

The warriors fell quiet, but then set their eyes on Po again.

"Alright," Crane said, "But what exactly was your plan? Let her stay here forever?"

"No… We were working on something. But then Fenghuang decided they should move to Japan, and then _you_," he pointed at Monkey, "came and spoiled everything!"

Monkey crossed his arms and looked offended. "Sorry for saving all your lives!"

"I wasn't in danger! Tigress won't harm anyone!"

"Do I have to remind you of Tiger? Our friend who she killed!"

"But that was a mistake!"

Mantis cleared his throat. "I don't really think you can call a murder a mistake, Po. She did on purpose."

"Still, do you want to ruin her life? Do you think she deserve that?" Po actually looked angry, giving them all a scolding glance.

No one said anything to that.

"You can just stay here. I'll go talk with Tigress," Po said and was about to leave when Crane called out.

"But didn't Fenghuang just say that she is not allowed to speak with us?"

That was when Po grinned. "Yeah, but you see, Tigress has started going against Fenghuang."

Then he disappeared behind the corner.

* * *

"You took the surprise rather well," Fenghuang commented as they were alone in the room.

"You keep surprising me, Fenghuang," Shifu told her. "Hiding in the Jade Palace? No one would suspect that."

"That was the plan."

Shifu raised an eyebrow. "And you thought hiding here would be safe?"

"No, of course not. That's why I ordered her to stay in her room."

Shifu figured that she was talking about Tigress. He took in a breath before asking, "And were you going to attack?"

Fenghuang stared at her. "No," she replied flatly, but honestly.

"Then what were you-"

"We would stay here until my wing was strong enough to carry her again. Then we would leave and you would never know." She lifted her head proudly.

"And where would you go?" Shifu kept asking her.

She grimaced slightly. "Details are still fuzzy, but we'll figure something out. And then you will never see us again. But now I have a question for you." She paused, swallowing her pride before asking quietly, "Will you tell him?"

Shifu stared into her hard eyes, but sensed her worry. He was quiet in some seconds, but then he said, "No. Unless you force me to."

"So you want me to behave?" she asked him mockingly.

"Yes," Shifu answered her. "Because I believe we can help each other."

"Oh, and how can _I_ help the mighty Grandmaster?" she spat. "Am I not just a dirty murderer that needs to be sent away?"

Shifu glared at her, not amused. "You are not exactly making it easy to like you. Or at least tolerate you."

"I never wanted your respect."

Deciding to change subject, the red panda then said, "If I have understand it correctly, then you no longer wish to become the Master of the Jade Palace?"

"Titles aren't really that important anymore. I treasure lives more."

"Tigress'?"

She nodded. "And my own, so she has someone. And if you just could stop answering questions, we will leave and won't a problem."

"Where would you go?"

There was a pause before she answered him. "Japan. Then we won't be your problem anymore."

She was about to leave the room, when Shifu called out, "it surprises me that you haven't asked me yet."

Scowling, the owl became confused. What was he talking about? "Asked you what?"

"The thing you want to know."

Now she turned around to face him. "_What_?" she hissed, losing her patience.

"Chorh-Gom."

"Oh." She closed her beak, but then opened it again. "If you expect a 'thank you' then you will get disappointed."

He just looked at her.

Sighing, Fenghuang gave up. "Fine. Why did you help me?" There came the question.

Finally Shifu was satisfied. "Because I have started to doubt your evil."

"You think I am soft?"

The master ignored that comment. "And because I wish the best for Tigress."

"I am listening."

"I should have been quicker at the time of the orphanage. I owe her a better life. And where you are determined, she is confused. You have seen it yourself; she wants to get out of this situation."

Fenghuang squinted. "I want that too."

"And you do need help to get out of it." Shifu sighed. "I see light in Tigress, and I have always hoped that you would change back."

"And did it ever hit you that it might just have been my true nature?" Fenghuang asked, leaning closer towards him.

"I did, but then I saw you how you treat Tigress. You might be a villain, Fenghuang, but you are also a mother. I don't doubt that. That is also why I find my solution painful."

"'Your solution'?" Fenghuang asked suspiciously.

Shifu sighed. "I will try and help you, Fenghuang. But I am afraid your crimes are too big to be ignored."

And Fenghuang realized what he was hinting. "But Tigress…"

He nodded. "Almost just like the orphanage. I can convince them that I can train her, I _will_ train her, and then they will no longer see her us a threat."

"You will take her in?"

"She can be my student, yes."

Fenghuang lowered her glance to the ground. If Shifu was speaking the truth, then this could be Tigress' saving. But she also knew that she could not stay here.

"The choice is yours, Fenghuang. Japan can still be your new home, but we both know what dangers you can face travelling there. And I can't keep Longwei from you forever."

"So let me make this clear; you are offering taking my child of my hands?" Her tone was cold and Shifu lowered his ears slightly.

"Yes."

"And how do you think Tigress will react to that?"

He sighed. "You should know that better than me."

Silence. Fenghuang kept glancing around the room, while Shifu just watched her reaction.

"I'll consider it."

That was her short answer as she avoided Shifu's glance. She then continued, "But I won't say that I'll do it. What I need from you is a promise that you won't reveal our position."

"I can't keep Longwei from here forever, but I'll do my best. And I trust that you will not be a threat to us?" Shifu asked her calmly.

"If you help us, then you'll have my word. But please try and convince your students to leave us alone. They might annoy me and I am not in the mood for that," Fenghuang said sternly.

"Very well. But you need to earn their trust, Fenghuang, and that is not something I can help you with."

The owl snorted. "I need help, not trust. And I might respect you, Shifu, but not your… students."

"Tigress seems to have grown a bond with the Dragon Warrior," Shifu commented.

"Yes, and I am not happy about that."

"The Dragon Warrior has a kind hear that sees the true nature of a person. He is also one of the reasons why I decided to trust Tigress and you."

"So I should be grateful?" Fenghuang asked with a snicker, but received no answer. Then she said quietly, "I like the fact you chose me over Longwei."

Shifu thought about that. "I fear for his judgment. After Chorh-Gom his eyes has become darkened."

"My fault?" she asked a bit proudly.

"He waited for you in many years, Fenghuang. Now he has given up."

"About time. He has always been a fool to me. So now he wants me dead?"

"He wants you punished."

"Quite the same," Fenghuang huffed. "He was not exactly pleased with me or Tigress last time I saw him. Then he poisoned me, so I guess he realized our friendship really has ended. He never changed much, did he? You did." Fenghuang tilted her head. "A lot."

Shifu could not help but be curious. "How?"

"You have become older. But you still have your beard."

Shifu chuckled.

Lifting her head, Fenghuang said, "We might not exactly be friends, and I really hate admitting this; but I _do_ appreciate your help."

The master gave her a small nod, hiding a small smile.

"But do know that if any of you threat, harm or betray us, I will not hesitate attacking. And that will be fatal for you," Fenghuang added. Of course.

"I keep my promise if you keep yours."

Shifu returned the nod. "But keep yours students away from Tigress. I need to speak with her, and if your students cause her to start doubting me, I have lost her trust. Again."

Then the owl left the room.

* * *

Po waited outside the room, knocking on the door. "Tigress?" he called.

Sighing, the tiger did not open the door. "You are very brave, panda. You heard my mother just as well as I did." Then she finally opened it, understanding talking with a thin wall between them was foolish.

He grinned. "Then you a brave too. Well, I just came here to apologize. For not being able to keep your secret."

Tigress sighed again. "Just as well my fault. I should have known Mother would awake. And I thank you, for trying to stop it out there."

"No problem. So what do you think will happen now?"

"I don't know what Shifu wants to discuss. Honestly, I don't trust him. But if my mother do, which I doubt, then I guess we will stay here for some time." She paused, but then said, "I hope so."

Po was about to speak when they were disturbed. It was Fenghuang returning back from her talk with Shifu. She did not say a word to Po, but sent him a very cold glance as she walked into the room.

Tigress stepped backwards so she could enter, and managed to send Po a grateful glance before the door became closed.

A silence filled the room before Tigress said, "I am sorry."

* * *

No one in the Jade Palace heard the silent sound of talons smashing against the roof as the owl landed.

* * *

A/N: And this story has been out for a year today! Something to celebrate, huh?

So tell me, what would your perfect ending to this story? Shifu taking in Tigress, Tigress leaving with Fenghuang, an epic battle, or something completely different? You know, you could just as well tell me; I might get inspired :P

Thank you for a wonderful year, people!


	42. Earning Trust

A/N: Sorry for the wait! But I am having my exams, and well… I have started on a new Danish novel… Once again… I keep getting ideas but then I get stuck. So yeah… I cross my fingers for this one.

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Earning Trust **

Fenghuang's head was throbbing. She stared at Tigress who stared back. "I knew you were up to something," she said with a low voice.

Tigress lowered her ears. "I didn't mean to… I just tried to help."

"I know! But you could at least have warned me! Do you know how close we were to a massacre out there?!"

The tiger crossed her arms. "'Massacre' is a big word. I had everything under control."

"Did you? Because they were about to attack you, and you know that too; you heard them. And I won't let anyone hurt you, Tigress, no matter how stubborn you are!"

"I just tried to see if things could turn out right!" Tigress hissed back. "To get another option. And Po can be trusted. They trust _me_. _Me_! It's just you-"

"That they want to get rid of?" Fenghuang finished for her.

Tigress' expression became softer. "It was not like that. I can convince them to trust you!"

Fenghuang snorted. "Really? Tigress, I hate to disappoint you, but no matter how much Shifu may want to trust me, he can't take away my past mistakes." Fenghuang shook her head. "But that was not what we were talking about. What I want to know is why you decided to lie to me and break my rules, very well knowing leaving the room is dangerous."

"As I said, I trust Po-"

"But you must have talked with him before trusting him. How many times have you left the room? Wait; I don't want to hear it!" Fenghuang snapped. "When I woke up and you were gone; I was so darn sure you were already on your way back to Chorh-Gom wearing chains! You can't keep scare me like that!"

"Well, sorry; I just wanted things to work out."

"And you didn't trust me to work things out?"

Tigress shook her head. "Each time you try, it doesn't really end well."

Fenghuang looked offended and put her wings on her hips. "Like mother, like daughter, don't you think?"

The tiger sighed. "Alright then; we are a wandering catastrophe. No reason to deny that. But I really want to change it."

As Tigress sat down on the bed, Fenghuang made sure the door was locked. After some minutes in silence, the owl called out. "I forgive you for lying."

Tigress looked up, surprise in her eyes. "Really?" she asked, hope in her voice.

"Yes," Fenghuang answered. "I can't really say I have been the best role model when it comes to lying. And I know you did it to try and make things… better. But I am the mother and you are the child, and I am the one who makes the decisions."

Tigress ignored the last part; she had gotten quite used to it now. "You have become kind of soft," she said tauntingly. "I like that."

"Haven't I always been soft on you?" Fenghuang said with a smile. "But we still need rules. As a punishment you are not allowed to leave the room."

"Well, that was the rules before I broke them," Tigress commented.

"I know, but this time I expect you to follow them."

The tiger found that quite funny. "Okay… Anything else?"

Fenghuang sighed. "I know you might get angry, but I would really _appreciate_ if you stayed away from them. Shifu and I are working on a deal, but I still fear… Longwei won't give up. So I'll have to take care of him." When she saw Tigress' expression she added, "And 'taking care of someone' doesn't mean killing."

"Try using other words when you speak with Shifu." Tigress sighed loudly. "I really, really believe this could work. Even Shifu wants to help us, so please, _please_ try and be… nice."

"Great choice of word."

"They are scared of you."

"I know."

Tigress tilted her head. "Po trusts you… because he trusts me. Why does Shifu trust you? Wait; he is your friend?"

Fenghuang hesitated. "Some things just don't change." She paused. "And he wishes for you to have a good life. Seems like you managed to charm them all."

"Uncle taught me how to get what I wanted. Don't you remember? When I was little and used to travel to the villages with him?" Tigress was lost in the good memories, they were so strong. She could almost see it in front of her eyes; how the young Furious Five had given her money to food.

Or at least that has been what they had thought. But it had still been good times. A safe homes with no lies… Or she had not known that they were lies…

Why did growing up suck so much?

Fenghuang sighed loudly. "And I thought you were troublesome as teenager. It's first now that you have refuses to listen to me."

"I'll listen… I just make my own decisions."

The owl snorted. "Charming."

"Who would you think would win?" Tigress asked her suddenly. "If we had started to fight…"

Fenghuang thought about it. "I would wish for us to win… But I don't believe we can be as lucky as the last time. Besides, my wing needs rest so we can leave."

"Japan?" Tigress asked her quietly.

"Maybe."

* * *

"So they are going to stay here?" Crane asked his master.

Shifu nodded. "For some time, until we have agreed on a plan."

"Am I the only one who can see the dangers in this?" Monkey asked, raising his hand.

"No," was Shifu answers. "And therefore I would like to hear your thoughts about all this. Especially you, Po," he said, turning toward the panda.

Po suddenly looked nervous. "Uhm… Why me?"

"Because you were the one who let them enter."

"Whoah whoah whoah! I did not do that! They did that by their own; I just forgot to mention it to you!"

Shifu sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Any thoughts?"

"I believe Tigress can be trusted- as long as we don't harm her mother," Viper said. "I agree with Po," the panda started smiling, "that Tigress can be our friend. But I do not doubt that she will attack if we go against Fenghuang."

Mantis jumped onto the table. "Okay, so we say that Tigress is innocent because she did not know the truth… But the whole thing is still unfair! We have punished hundreds of criminals; are we just going to let Fenghuang and Tigress go free from any form of punishment? They did kill Tiger, and even though he may have been a bad guy, then I still think we should avenge him."

Monkey nodded. "My thoughts exactly. We can't just say Fenghuang is a good person when she obviously isn't. The valley won't trust her, and then they may not trust us anymore."

"So… Tigress can stay but Fenghuang can't?" Crane asked to try and make a summary.

Viper shook her head sadly. "Tigress won't stay unless Fenghuang does."

"Actually," Shifu spoke with a clear voice, "Fenghuang made an offer. She will leave to Japan while Tigress will remain here… as my student."

All his students widened their eyes while dropping their jaws. "No way!" Po exclaimed.

"She's going to be our comrade?" Mantis asked, disbelief and suspicion in his voice.

"Perhaps," Shifu answered, "but it is Fenghuang's choice."

Po and Viper shared a worried look; they knew what each other was thinking.

The snake cleared her voice. "Does Tigress know of this plan?" she asked her master.

"I do not know if Fenghuang has told her. I would prefer if you would keep quiet about it." Shifu stood up from his chair. "I will allow Tigress and Fenghuang to stay here. But keep an eye on Tigress, while I will work something out with Fenghuang."

They all bowed. "Yes, Master."

"But I should let you know from Fenghuang that she does not like see you talking with Tigress."

"Wait; we must not speak with her?" Po asked, confused. "But we have to keep an eye on her…? Are we spying on her or something?"

Shifu sighed. "I will not say that you have to follow Fenghuang's orders, but I will give you the advice to not make her angry."

Crane nodded. "That sounds like a great plan."

* * *

"Did you hear that?"

Tigress woke up, rubbing her eyes. "Hear what?"

Fenghuang was actually not sure, but something had awakened her. Now she was turning her head around, trying to find the mysterious sound. But now there was quiet; she could only hear Tigress' slow breathing.

The tiger flattened her ears. "Is it Longwei?"

"No," the owl answered. "I don't think so." It could not be; he could not be that fast. But… if it really was him, then she and Tigress needed to leave. Now.

Fenghuang forced herself to take in some deep breaths. "Stay here. I'll be back in two minutes."

Tigress followed her until she reached the doorway; there she stopped, looking at her mother until the owl disappeared around a corner.

Fenghuang headed outside; it had actually sounded like the noises came from the roof. What now? Assassins? Thieves?

Then where was Shifu if an intruder was invading his home?

Is she was the Grandmaster then she would know the name of all who intruded her valley!

But as she headed outside, she could not find anyone. Only the dark night, but with her sharp vision she could see just as well.

And it would only a matter of minutes before she could sense someone's presence. "I know you are there," she spoke calmly. "So reveal yourself."

She was answered with a quiet gulp.

"Dragon Warrior," she said, amused. "I did not know you were the one to hide in the shadows."

Finally, Po stepped out in front of her, looking very nervous. "I was just collecting some peaches," he said in his defense. "Want one?" he asked, holding one out towards her.

Fenghuang looked at it with disgust before setting her glance on his face. "No thanks."

Po swallowed the fruit that was in his mouth. "So…" he started. "Needing some fresh air?"

Fenghuang squinted suspiciously. "Nothing that concerns you, panda."

The panda suddenly got a worried expression. "You weren't running off, were you?" he asked, almost feeling Tigress' hear break.

"If I wanted to go, then I probably would not be here right now, would I, panda?" Fenghuang asked him mockingly. "And how dare you suggest such thing? I am no coward! But you know that."

"Yeah… You fight pretty well."

"I know that," Fenghuang said, refusing to look at him. Though, after some seconds, she added, "Thanks. Though I hear you weren't exactly a challenge for my daughter."

Po remembered the battle against Tigress when she and the owl took over the valley. He winched. "Yeah… She sure knows some tricks."

He was about to sneak inside again, sensing that the owl did not really want a conversation. But then she called out, "I do not like you, panda."

"Okay…?"

"You have changed my daughter and I refuse to let your wrong ideas fill her head. Though, you have also helped her and I do appreciate _that_. But I am keeping an eye on you. Understood?"

Po gulped again while nodding. Those purple eyes… She was not kidding.

Finally, he dared to ask, "Are you really going to give up Tigress?"

In less than a second Fenghuang's face turned into stone. "What are you talking about?" she asked sharply.

"Yeah… Shifu told us."

The owl sighed in despair. "You really can't trust anyone around here!" There was silence as Po waited. "I won't answer that question, panda."

"Aw, come on! You have to prepare Tigress if you really are going to do that! She'll be heartbroken!"

"Which is why I haven't decided yet!" Fenghuang shook her head in confusion as she realized what she was doing. "But that is not something I want to discuss with you."

"I just tried to-" Seeing that the owl already was heading back to the palace, Po ran after her. "Listen, you can get the others to trust you! But you need to prove that you have changed!"

"But have I, panda?" she spat.

"I guess so… Tigress says so, and I trust her."

"Why?"

Now he had to come up with a good answer. "Because… she's a good person. Right?"

Fenghuang glared at him, tilting her head. "I never understood Oogway's decisions," she them muttered, walking inside the palace.

Po watched her go. "Goodnight!"

* * *

"_Nice moves, Fenghuang!" Longwei called, watching the owl fight his friend. "Watch out!" _

_Fenghuang avoided Shifu's attack and managed to kick him in the back, ending the fight. The red panda got up and walked towards Longwei with a not so amused look on his face. "I guess you do fit being called traitor." _

"_Come on, Shifu; lose with a smile." _

_But the red panda was still grumpy. "I could have won." _

"_If you hadn't interrupted," Fenghuang finished for him. "So the next time, just stay out of it." _

"_Come on; aren't you allowed to do a bit of cheerleading?" Longwei asked joyfully. _

"_No," Shifu and Fenghuang answered in unison. _

_Bai jumped towards them, flapping his wings. "Quite a battle there!" _

_The elephant placed himself beside him, nodding. "You both fought well," Delun said with his deep voice. _

_Fenghuang smiled slightly. "So, who is next?" she asked them all. _

_They all first looked at her, but then lowered their glances. No one wanted to lose, and that was what would happen if they fought Fenghuang. _

"_I vote for a break!" Bai then exclaimed, getting murmurs that agreed with him. _

_Fenghuang sighed loudly, but was also tired. "Very well then." _

_It was a lovely day, really. The sun was shining brightly and the weather was hot. As the five students relaxed, they all let out a satisfied sigh. _

"_Have you ever wondered if you were actually cheating without knowing it?" Longwei suddenly asked the owl, as they were all sitting on the grass. _

"_What do you mean?" _

"_You can fly, we can't." _

"_Then grow some wings," Fenghuang said, closing her eyes while turning her head towards the sun. _

"_It's not like I am accusing you of anything!" the leopard defended himself. "I just wondered how cool the fight would be if we too could fly… Or maybe you should just stay on the ground." _

_She snorted. "Keep dreaming." _

"_I wish I could fly!" Bai, the rooster, exclaimed, hearing their conversation. _

_Fenghuang opened one eye and smirked, "And I pity you, Bai." _

"_What would Oogway say if we decided not to spend the rest of the day training?" Longwei asked out loud. _

_Delun raised an eyebrow. "I won't tell, if you won't." _

_The rest of the boys agreed, though Shifu hesitated. "One last battle." _

"_Come on!" Bai sighed, hoping to actually enjoy the rest of the day. _

"_You are all too lazy to become real masters," Fenghuang scolded them. "Maybe you should just be farmers instead." _

"_Ouch," Longwei winched. "That hurts." _

"_Then get up from the ground and do as you were told," Fenghuang said sternly, and slowly the boys did as she said. _

"_You do realize you are not our master, right, Fenghuang?" Bai asked, a bit offended, as he walked by her. _

"_Maybe I will be," Fenghuang said, staring at him with her purple eyes. "One day." _

"_The sternest Grandmaster ever!" _

_As the students prepared themselves to start again, Fenghuang spoke loudly, "I could be. I won't ever leave the Jade Palace, so it could be the perfect job." _

"_Good thing I won't be your student then," Delun said, teasing her. _

"_So that's your plan of the future, Fenghuang?" Longwei asked her. "Big dreams, huh?" _

"_They can be true, though. Nothing can stop me. And the Jade Palace will always be my home. Always." _

* * *

Longwei woke up, his mind busy understanding his dream. Or more exactly; memory. He remembered that day, as being a part of the Furious Five had been the greatest period in his life.

Too bad Fenghuang had been wrong at that time. She had been stopped, and the Jade Palace had not become her home.

Not until several years later when she returned with her cub.

But where was she now? He tried so desperately to figure that out.

He would not give up.

And he knew that Fenghuang would not give up either. And that meant she must have found the antidote by now.

She could have robbed a healer's shop, but no villagers had told him of such thievery. So where…?

Jade Palace. He could just as well go there; he needed to talk with Shifu. Actually, he needed to talk with the red panda as soon as possible.

He had an idea and Shifu was the one to help him.

* * *

A/N: Okay, someone out there *glares* has unfavorited this story, so we are now back on 74 favs… Which means we can celebrate the 75 once again if we get one more… It's actually pretty ironic, since I have already celebrated 75 in a A/N, so now people might think I have been lying… Seriously, whoever unfaved it, you just totally ruined a perfect symmetry! *panicks*


	43. Cute Kitty

A/N: Wow! You are simply the best readers ever! Three favorites after I have lost one! We have now passed the 75! And to all of you who has trouble believing someone would unfav this story; it has happened a lot of times. I have lost a lot of favs for reason I don't know, but I also get new favs so there has been no reason to complain. Though, when I just celebrated 75 and one suddenly disappeared, I was like "Nooooooooo!" So thank you very much!

To Fallen Angel: I can' really write to you as you do not have an account, so I'll answer here. Thank you very much for your sweet review. I never realized my A/N's were so personal that you readers actually could see a bit of how I am. I am truly honored. I do have many penpals on this site (actually, my kinda best friend is actually a penpal from this site, we write and talk to each other every day). So yeah, if you had an account so I could send you a pm, we could become penpals. Again, thank you for your sweet review.

And let end this incredible long A/N by saying; I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Spread Your Wings, Cute Kitty **

"This is awkward."

"Come on!" Po exclaimed, pushing her forwards the doorway. But Tigress was like a giant rock; impossible to move.

The tiger squinted. "I am not eating dinner with you and your friends!"

"Why not?!"

"Because I am not even supposed to be here!" Tigress protested. "This isn't my room and I promised my mother to stay away from you!"

"Well, since Fenghuang and Shifu still are discussing, they can't really see what you are doing! And it's dinner time, so you are supposed to eat dinner!" Po said, still trying to push her unmoving form.

"Can't I just eat alone?" she asked bitterly.

"No! That's being unsocial and that does not help the whole," he lowered his voice into a whisper, as if it was a big secret, "trust issue."

Tigress scowled. "Fine. But I don't believe _they_ want to eat with me."

"Come on; they love you!"

They were disrupted by the sound of someone clearing his throat. The Furious 'Four' were inside the kitchen, just meters away, and could very well hear what they were saying. "Tolerate," Monkey corrected Po. 'Love' was just such a big word…

"Same thing!" Po yelled back and finally forced the tiger into the kitchen. There, everyone was sitting down, looking up at her with different glances. Some were suspicious while some were a bit warmer.

Tigress set her jaw, and walked towards the free chair with stiff legs. There she sat down, all while scowling.

Po placed himself on the chair beside her. "Because we are starting all over and all that, I believe we should introduce each other," he suggested.

Tigress snorted while crossing her arms. "Their names aren't really that hard to figure out." She did not trust the other students, and she could clearly feel their dislike to her. The snake was the only one that really gave her a chance besides Po. So if they did not like her, she was not going to be friendly.

"Same goes for you," Mantis told her.

The tiger glared at them all coldly before turning her head towards Po again. "Are we actually going to eat at this so-called dinner?"

"Yep; soup's ready in just a second," he answered calmly.

Then there was silence. And it annoyed Tigress a lot. Turning her paws into fists, she tried to ignore the others' presences.

Po looked at her worriedly.

But she knew what they were all thinking. She was a monster. She had killed their friend, defeated them all, sent them to a dungeon… Why should they trust her?

Po trusted her because she had saved his life.

She had done nothing for them.

So why should they care about her? They were probably just waiting for the right moment to betray her. Stab her in the back. Contact Longwei. Laugh at her while she was wearing chains again.

They did not want her here and she perfectly understood them.

"This is ridiculous!" she exclaimed, rising from her chair.

"Agree," Monkey muttered.

Po quickly got up from his chair too, trying to stop her. "Tigress, wait!"

"I'm not hungry, panda," she hissed, wanting nothing more than to leave. Yet, as he grabbed her arm, she stopped. Though, she did not allow him to speak, "They don't want me here, and honestly, I don't want to be here either. So just let me-"

"But you do want to be here, right? To fix things; like you said. We can help you!"

"But they don't want to help me," she said through gritted teeth. "And I don't deserve their help. Nor do I need it."

"But you-"

"I need Shifu's help; not theirs," she said glaring at them all. She then realized what she had to do. She pulled herself away from Po, leaving the room. "Enjoy your dinner, panda."

With a depressed look Po watched her go. What had just happened?

"Well, it isn't our fault," Mantis said. "We barely even talked!"

"What's up with her?" Monkey asked, looking at Po as if he had the answers.

The panda bit his lip. "I don't know."

"And where did she go?"

"Uhmm…"

"Mission: keeping an eye on Tigress, failed!"

* * *

Tigress held her breath as she stood outside the door. She knew they were inside the room; she could hear their voices.

"But that does not change our situation…"

"We're running out of options, Fenghuang. I have promised to help you, but there are limits for my help. If you could talk with the Masters Council-"

"They'll throw us back to Chorh-Gom."

"You made me listen; then there is a change they will."

"Hah! I doubt they'll give me another glance!"

"I-"

Tigress knocked on the door, disturbing their conversation. She opened it even before they said she could come in.

When they both looked at her she could not help but shrink a bit. She was not supposed to be here and she knew it. "Hello," she said, meeting her mother's eyes for a second. "I… I need to talk with Shifu."

Fenghuang raised an eyebrow, asking her a silent question. But Tigress had set her eyes on Shifu and did not look away from him.

"Very well," Shifu said, staring back. "I will return to you later, Fenghuang."

Fenghuang did not protest about Tigress talking with him, but the tiger knew that she would have to tell her later what the whole thing was about.

When the owl left the room plus closing the door, Tigress remained standing.

Seeing how distressed she looked, Shifu asked, "Is something wrong, Tigress?"

"I just thought you might explain something to me," she said, taking the seat in front of him. "Did you order your students to accept us? Or something like that. Because they have no reason to trust me, and therefore I can't feel safe."

Shifu was a bit confused, but said, "Of course not all of them fully trust you-"

"Then how can I make them trust _me_?" she asked, pointing at herself with a thumb.

Hope filled Shifu. "You want to earn their trust?"

"Yes, wasn't that what I just said?" she said carelessly, annoyed by having to repeat herself. "First when I have their trust I can trust them. It's not that complicated, but the problem is that I just can't make my past mistakes disappear."

"Earning trust can be quite a challenge, Tigress."

"Well, that's the reason why I am asking you for help." She lowered her head towards the red panda. "I do not regret with happened with Tiger. And that won't change. You weren't there when it happened, you did not fight him." She licked her lips, thinking back to when it happened. "It was him or me. And I was just the fastest. Aren't you supposed to hate him anyway? He betrayed you all!"

"Blaming the dead does not lead you anywhere."

"No, but blaming my mother for more than thirty years made perfectly sense," Tigress hissed, but then calmed down.

Shifu watched her closely. "If you could imagine an ending to all of this… what would happen?"

"I would stay here," Tigress answered quickly. "Or the cave… It doesn't really matter as long as it would be safe. And of course my mother would be there and you would leave us alone." She paused for a moment, thinking. "But I do like talking with people… Freedom to go where I want. I would love that."

Then Shifu dared to ask, "Po… is your friend?" he said, quoting her. As she did not answer, he continued, "Your first friend?"

"Yes."

"You could ask the others for forgivingness."

"Doesn't really sound like something I would do."

"Or you could apologize."

Tigress cringed. "It's not that simple."

"You want them to trust you, to make them listen to you… the same way you listen to me."

"You agreed to help us… and I certainly hope you will keep your promise. And then, of course, there is the fact that you owe me." She started looking at her own claws, knowing she had the upper hand when it came to this. "You know, when you abandoned me."

Shifu's face hardened. "I cannot order my students to trust you, Tigress. I will give you the task to find out how to do it yourself."

"Thanks," she snorted sarcastically.

"You could ask the Dragon Warrior; I am sure he will be glad to help you."

Tigress nodded silently. Then she asked, "How does the planning go?"

Shifu cleared his throat. "Forwards. Though, we still miss the details."

"And Longwei?"

"I am keeping an eye on him."

"Good," she stood up, but did not leave the room. "I don't want to be evil, Shifu," she said with a low voice. "I never wanted that. But I don't want to be weak either."

"You can avoid both," Shifu told her.

"Like your students?" she asked him. "Just not as annoying."

He gave her a soft smile. "Thank you for the talk, Tigress."

She walked backwards towards the door. "I'll just return if I have more questions. I have the right to know what is going on."

"Of course. And Tigress?" he called out. "I have forgiven you."

"Uhm… great."

"So can you forgive me?" he asked her.

Tigress did not really know how to answer that. For some time she just stared at him, but then she said, "Alright."

Shifu held in a sigh; why did he still feel that Tigress was going to use his past mistake towards him?

But… it had never really been a mistake, had it? He had just been too slow… That did not mean it was his fault.

Since when was it that the only thing that mattered in the Jade Palace was forgiveness and fault? Oh yes; since Tigress and Fenghuang had appeared…

And now he had made a promise to help them, though, he still had to follow the law… Not an easy task.

But if he managed to convince Master Croc and Master Ox…

* * *

"You sure that is what you want?" Fenghuang asked her at the evening. They were about to go to bed, but first Tigress had told her about what she and Shifu had been discussing.

"I'm pretty sure," Tigress said, sitting down on her bed. "We gain their trust, I gain theirs."

"But being friends with them?"

"I just used that word as an example!" Tigress said, feeling a bit uncomfortable. "As long as they will just help me, I will be satisfied."

Fenghuang tilted her head. "I'm not the best to create friends, so don't ask me."

"Then what can I do? Shifu won't tell me; he just suggested me to talk with Po!"

"Then why don't do just do that?"

"Because… it'll be embarrassing," Tigress hissed. "And I know his plans will be… humiliating… I won't go that low."

"Your choice," Fenghuang answered shortly, preparing to go to sleep. Though, after some seconds she added, "It could be a smart choice though; to have some friends around here."

Tigress looked up in surprise. "What?" the owl asked, catching her glance.

"You are telling me to get friends? That's something new."

"Well, we are supposed to be changing, so why not just start there." Fenghuang sighed, walking closer to the tiger's bed. "Now we have to be all sweet and softie."

"You've always been soft," she said teasingly.

"Just drop it," was Fenghuang's short reply, much to the tiger's amusement.

"Goodnight, mother."

"Goodnight, dear."

* * *

"Good morning."

The 'Four' shared a confused glance as the tiger entered the kitchen.

"Uhm… hi?" Crane answered her as the first.

Tigress forced a smile on her face as she turned towards them. "I made breakfast for all of you," she told him sweetly. Her uncle had taught her how to handle such things. How she could make people feel sorry for her. And that was almost the same as becoming friends with someone, so that would work.

Just because she was not a cub anymore, it did not mean she had lost her charm.

The 'Four' shared a glance again as she placed a plate in front of everyone. Mantis leaned closer to Viper who he was sitting next to. "Check it for poison, will you?"

The snake gave him a wordless nod, still stunned of Tigress' smile.

"So," the tiger started, sitting down in front of them, "did you have a good night's sleep?"

After some time Monkey answered, "Yep… but the morning was some of a scare."

Tigress' face turned into scowl, though she still kept up her smile. "Lovely."

"Has anyone seen Po?" Crane asked loudly.

"Still sleeping," the tiger answered. "And mother and Shifu are having a meeting again."

"So it is just you and us?" Monkey asked her.

Tigress nodded.

Silence.

Finally, the tiger spoke again, "What are your plans for today?"

It was Viper who answered her, "Probably just training as usual." Unlike the boys, she said it with a smile. She could see that Tigress really did try; though, when it came to the tiger there might be some hidden plans behind all this.

"Can I join you?"

"Sure," Viper said. "As long as it doesn't end as the last time we fought," she said jokingly, though no one really laughed. Seeing this, the snake added, "You could teach us some of your tricks."

"Yeah, I could do that," Tigress said, staring at them all. Then she noticed one was missing. "Where's Mantis?"

* * *

"Po, wake up!" the bug yelled, jumping at the sleepy panda. After punch to his stomach, the panda sat up.

"What?! Is it dinner time already? Or bandits? I could really use a bandit fight right now!"

"No; it's Tigress!" Mantis exclaimed as Po left his bed.

The panda's face turned into horror. "Oh no! Are they doing it again? We gotta stop them!"

"No, they are not taking over the palace! Calm down!" After saying that, Mantis tilted his head and looked at the panda, adding, "But you think she would do that? Wow, the big believer still thinks she has a dark side!"

"I do believe her…" Po muttered, defending himself. "I was just keeping an eye on her… What's the big emergency then?"

"She's in the kitchen!" the bug yelled.

Po looked down at him, not really understanding. "And?"

"She's eating breakfast! With us! And she's smiling! And it's really really _really_ CREEPY!"

"Oh, come on! It can't be that bad!"

"Have you seen her smile?! HAVE YOU SEEN IT?!"

Shaking his head, Po walked towards the kitchen, but as the boys entered it, they both found it empty. "Viper talked about inviting her to train with us…" Mantis said, heading outdoors.

As they stepped out of the palace, Po immediately spotted the tiger. She was walking towards the training hall, but she was not alone. Beside her was Viper, and those two seemed like they were busy in a conversation.

"Just look; she's harmless!" Po said, pointing at them. "She just wants friends."

"Yeah, that's all cute and adorable, but I don't think the kitty is our problem anymore."

"Well, it was you who wanted me to check up on her!" Po told the bug.

"Hey, Po?" Mantis then asked him. "Do you think Fenghuang is allowed to leave the Jade Palace?"

Po scratched the back of his neck. "Nope. That would reveal them… so, no. Why are you asking?"

Mantis pointed at the sky. "Because she's up there!"

* * *

A/N: Seriously, now it is party time! You see, there was something I forgot to celebrate last year… But I can do it this year…

You see, today it is TWO YEARS SINCE I JOINED THIS SITE! Amazing, isn't it? Sadly, after summer I am starting on college, so I won't have much time to write. But it has been two amazing years with you, my dear readers! Probably some of the best years of my life!

Another thing; tomorrow is my birthday :D and because it is in the middle of all my exams, there will go some time before I update ;) Day off tomorrow; I'll just enjoy the time with my family, and when the day is over, it is back to study again!


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